Berita Arkib

17/08/04, CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Dow Jones)--Brazil is expected to continueto expand its soybean area in 2004/05, according to information from theU.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service web site.

16/08/04, KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Crude palm oil futures on the BursaMalaysia Derivatives ended higher Monday amid talk that the Indiangovernment was poised to reduce base prices for palm oil imports.The benchmark November CPO contract ended at 1,460 ringgit ($1=MYR3.8)a metric ton, up MYR30 from Friday, after moving between MYR1,422 andMYR1,478In the morning session, CPO futures barely budged, with tradingvolumes around half their usual levels.However, the market rose in the afternoon session, boosted by a surgein oilseeds and edible oil futures on India National Board of Trade, orNBOT.Traders said the rise in prices in India triggered speculation thatthe government would soon cut base prices, also known as tariff values,for palm oil.Base prices for palm oil, which are used by the government tocalculate import duties, have yet to be revised this year despite a steepdrop in global palm oil prices.However, ideas that higher edible oil futures in India was a precursorto a reduction in the base prices were misguided, traders said."If the NBOT is up, it actually means that India won't lower thetariffs. If they do reduce the (tariffs), the NBOT would be down," atrader said."So it doesn't make sense for people to say that because NBOT isup, the (tariffs) will be lower."A cut in the tariff values would make palm oil prices in Indiacheaper, not more expensive, traders said.The base price for crude palm oil is at $504/ton, for refined palm oilat $543/ton, crude palm olein at $532/ton and refined palm olein at$552/ton."The Indians have been buying hand-to-mouth all along. If thegovernment reduces the base prices, does it mean there will be a rush tobuy? I'm not so sure," a trader said.The trader said edible oil importers in India may prefer to wait fora clearer picture on the country's domestic oilseeds crops due to beharvested later this year before aggressively making forward purchases.Meanwhile, cargo surveyors Intertek Testing Services and SGS(Malaysia) Bhd. issued estimates for Malaysian palm oil exports in thefirst 15 days of August. However, the figures were well within marketexpectations and hadlittle impact on prices.SGS pegged Aug. 1-15 exports at 544,819 tons, up 4.4% from 521,655tons in the first 15 days of July.The figure was slightly lower than another estimate from IntertekTesting Services, which pegged Aug. 1-15 exports at 558,915 tons.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 (Bernama-AFX-ASIA) -- IOI Oleochemical IndustriesBhd said it posted an all-time high pretax profit of 230.55 mln rgt andnet profit of 174.21 mln rgt in the year ended June, supported by highercontributions from the oleochemical manufacturing and plantation segments.The profit figures compare with the pretax profit of 170.83 mln rgtand net profit of 136.18 mln in the previous financial year.In the notes accompanying its results, IOI Oleochemical said theoleochemical manufacturing segment's pretax profit grew 11 pctyear-on-year to 116.9 mln rgt, despite higher palm oil prices, as a resultof volume growth and better cost efficiencies.At the same time, the plantation division's pretax profit improved 104pct to 96.1 mln rgt, reflecting the positive effects of its acquisition ofthe Pamol Group.Its property development, hotel and other divisions also showed someimprovement during the period under review.Going forward, the company said it is confident that the recordperformance can be sustained.

16/08/04, MANILA (Dow Jones)--The Philippines is well on its way toachieving its goal of planting over 100,000 hectares of farmlands to oilpalm by 2010, which will usher the country into self-sufficiency, a seniorgovernment official said Monday.In 2004 alone, 10,000 hectares of farmlands will be planted to oilpalm, which will bring the country's total oil palm areas to 35,000hectares, Danilo Coronacion, administrator of the Philippine CoconutAuthority, told Dow Jones Newswires.Coronacion said farmers are "well-motivated" to plant oil palm onexpected higher income compared with the cultivation of coconut trees.He said projected annual income from the cultivation of oil palm isaround 45,000 to 60,000 pesos ($1=PHP55.68) a hectare versus an annualincome of only around PHP10,000 to PHP12,000/ha from coconut plantations.According to Coronacion, domestic demand for palm oil increases byabout 5% to 10% a year, which means the country's palm oil requirement by2010 would reach around 300,000 metric tons from the current 105,000 tonsa year."Without the palm oil development program, our projected imports bythen would be about 267,000 tons because of growing demand from thefast-food, meat processing and fish canning industries," Coronacion said.Current annual production of palm oil is estimated at 45,000 tons. Theshortfall in production is covered by imports.

16/08/04, MANILA (Dow Jones)--World coconut oil prices are higher thisweek on bullish soyoil futures and active buying in the market.Manila-based traders quoted coconut oil for July/August shipment at$665 a metric ton, CIF basis Rotterdam, while August/September deliverywas offered at $635/ton. These prices are higher by about $15-$25/ton fromprices quoted a week ago.Traders said prices were boosted by a rally in soyoil futuresfollowing the release of a bullish crop report.The U.S. Department of Agriculture's August crop report said the firstgovernment survey of the 2004-05 U.S. soybean crop showed a much smallercrop than the industry had anticipated.One trader said active buying in the coconut oil market as consumersare trying to cover their nearby positions further boosted prices. Stocksin Rotterdam, a major export destination, remain low, he added.Danilo Coronacion, administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority,said export prices are likely to remain high until the end of the year onan expected increase in demand from oleochemical producers."There's a tendency for (prices of) petroleum-based oleochemicals torise because of an increase in crude prices. Once you have an increase inoleochemicals (prices), then the price of coconut oil will follow," saidCoronacion.Oleochemicals, derived from both coconut oil and petroleum, are usedin the manufacture of detergents, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.The Philippines is the world's biggest exporter of coconut oil,averaging about 1 million tons a year.

8/14/04 INDIA - Kuok Group of Singapore, owned by Forbes billionairetycoon Robert Kuok, is setting up two wholly owned subsidiaries formanufacturing, processing and trading edible oils in India.

8/14/04 INDIA - There is good reason for the finance minister’s promisedmeasured response to inflation to weigh more in favour of fiscal andsectoral policy changes than of monetary tightening.

Monday August 16, 2004 - SARAWAK's crude palm oil (CPO) exports exceededthe RM1bil mark last year with production increasing by 20.1% to 886,474tonnes from 737,864 in the previous year, said Planning and ResourceManagement Minister Datuk Awang Tengah Ali.

Friday August 13, 2004 - AMRESEARCH has maintained its earnings forecastand hold'' recommendation on PPB Oil Palms Bhd despite the tendency forthe company to be affected by the downtrend in crude palm oil (CPO) pricesdue to its pure plantation exposure.

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Thursday August 12, 2004 - Crude palm oil (CPO) prices, which haveaveraged between RM1,400 and RM1,600 per tonne this year, could receive a10% to 15% boost should the El Nino weather phenomenon return later thisyear.

8/13/2004 - Global Refining & Fuels Report - World production of oilseedsand palm oil is increasing, partly due to increased biodiesel use,according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).