04.05.2021 (www.nasdaq.com) - KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (Reuters) - Malaysia's palm oil stockpile in April likely inched lower despite production rising to a six-month high, hampered by robust exports and plummeting imports, a Reuters survey showed on Wednesday.

Inventories were seen declining 0.27% from the month before to 1.44 million tonnes, according to the median estimate of seven planters, traders and analysts polled by Reuters. MYPOMS-TPO

Output in the world's second-largest producer likely jumped 8.9% from March to 1.55 million tonnes, marking a second straight month of gain and hitting its highest since October. MYPOMP-CPOTT

"The Malaysian Palm Oil Board's (MPOB) April data should be interesting as supply rebounds with East Malaysia now moving into a stronger production trend," said Marcello Cultrera, institutional sales manager and broker at Phillip Futures in Kuala Lumpur.

Exports likely rose 10% to 1.3 million tonnes, while imports were seen down 21.4% to 108,000 tonnes. MYPOME-PO

"Demand in May is likely to be impacted by lower consumption of edible oils in India, as well as by negative palm oil processing margins," Culture said.

Coronavirus infections in India, the world's biggest palm oil importer, surged past 20 million on Tuesday, raising demand concerns.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board will release the official data on May 10.

Breakdown of February estimates (in tonnes):

Range

Median

Production

1,490,000-1,565,689

1,550,000

Exports

1,280,000-1,370,000

1,300,000

Imports

80,000-130,000

108,000

Closing stocks

1,402,000-1,595,970

1,442,000

* Official stocks of 1,445,970 tonnes in March plus the above estimated output and imports yield a total April supply of 3,103,970 tonnes. Based on the median of exports and closing stocks estimate, Malaysia's domestic consumption in April is estimated to be 361,970 tonnes.

(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)