KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- Total palm oil stocks decreased 10.27percent to 875,083 tonnes in October 2003 from 975,266 tonnes in September2003, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) said.

Out of this, crude palm oil (CPO) stocks accounted for 405,401 tonnes,down 11.16 percent from 456,327 tonnes a month earlier while a processedpalm oil fell 9.49 percent to 469,682 tonnes from 518,939 tonnes, MPOBsaid in a statement here Thursday.

CPO output for the month dropped by 8.05 percent to 1.193 million tonnesas against 1.297 million tonnes produced in September.

MPOB said that Peninsular Malaysia accounted for the bulk of the outputwith 666,069 tonnes in October as against 761,330 tonnes in the previousmonth, followed by Sabah at 440,273 tonnes and Sarawak 86,342 tonnes.

As for the exports, palm oil exports were down 1.13 percent to 1.197million tonnes from 1.211 million tonnes in September while exports ofpalm kernel oil declined 7.22 percent to 83,935 tonnes versus 90,471tonnes.

MPOB said palm kernel stocks fell 10.70 percent to 103,129 tonnes inOctober compared with 115,481 tonnes in September while crude palm kerneloil stocks slipped 13.22 percent to 126,270 tonnes from 145,512 tonnes.

The production of palm kernel declined 6.09 percent to 321,623 tonnes from342,495 tonnes while crude palm kernel oil was down to 2.34 percent to149,886 tonnes from 153,476 tonnes.

-- BERNAMA