13/06/2012 (Jakarta Post) - Publicly listed plantation company PT Astra Agro Lestari, a subsidiary of diversified conglomerate PT Astra International, reported that it booked a 6 percent increase in crude palm oil (CPO) production in the first five months of the year compared to a year earlier.

The company said in a report filed with the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) on Monday that it produced 514,979 tons of CPO between January and May, compared to 485,889 tons from the same period last year.

The increase was supported by growth in the production of fresh palm fruit bunches to 1.97 million tons in the first five months of the year, a 6.1 percent increase compared to 1.86 million tons in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, kernel production also rose 12.6 percent to 113,565 tons during the January-May period versus 100,865 tons in the same period last year.

Shares in Astra Agro (AALI) closed at Rp 21,800 (US$2.31) apiece on Monday, falling slightly by 0.23 percent from 21,850 last Friday.