13/02/2013 (Bernama) - Palm oil stocks fell 1.9 per cent to 2.58 million tonnes in January this year from the 2.63 million tonnes in December 2012, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said Wenesday.

It said crude palm oil (CPO) stocks dipped 0.96 per cent to 1.56 million tonnes in January.

Processed palm oil stocks lost 3.31 per cent to 1.02 million tonnes, it added in a statement.

Palm kernel stocks declined 14.03 per cent to 161,319 tonnes but crude palm kernel oil stocks expanded 3.47 per cent to 296,354 tonnes.

Processed palm kernel oil stocks fell 5.04 per cent to 170,485 tonnes but palm kernel cake stocks rose 0.19 per cent to 466,839 tonnes.

The MPOB said CPO production last month fell 9.98 per cent to 1.602 million tonnes from the 1.780 million tonnes previously.

Palm kernel production was down 7.68 per cent to 413,232 tonnes, while crude palm kernel oil output was 10.79 per cent lower at 199,807 tonnes, and palm kernel cake production slid 11.31 per cent to 220,897 tonnes.

Palm oil exports declined 1.61 per cent to 1.62 million tonnes last month as compared to December, while palm kernel oil exports fell 9.45 per cent to 102,941 tonnes.

It said palm kernel cake exports jumped 41.09 per cent to 294,962 tonnes, but oleochemicals exports were 2.64 per cent weaker at 221,024 tonnes, and biodiesel exports surged 49.31 per cent to 9,407 tonnes.

CPO imports in the reviewed month inched up 0.12 per cent to 54,781 tonnes and processed palm oil imports jumped 50.84 per cent to 49,035 tonnes.

In January, the average price of fresh fruit bunches rose 9.42 per cent to RM22.31 per tonne compared with RM20.39 previously.