JAKARTA (Antara): The World's crude palm oil output is forecast to reach 41.40 million tons this year, up 8.5 percent compared to last year's 38.15 million tons, Oil World reported.
The report stated that the increase in palm oil production comes as a result of a 6.6 percent plantation area expansion, to 11.24 million hectares, compared to 2006.
According to PT Astra Agro Lestari (AALI) director Santosa, the world's total crude palm oil output grew by 2.7 percent between 2006 and 2007, bolstered by production increases at the world's foremost crude palm oil producers, Indonesia andMalaysia.
Santosa said Indonesia's total CPO output in 2007 reached 16.7 million tons, a 4 percent increase from last year's 16.05 million tons, while Malaysia's production decreased by 0.4 percent to 15.82 million tons.
He added that PT AALI's January production rose by 25.8 percent to 89,607 tons from 71,216 in January 2007.
Malaysia projects an 8 percent production growth in 2008, to 17.08 million tons, with an expected 2.9 percent expansion of plantation area from 3.79 million hectares in 2007 to 3.90 million hectares this year.(*)
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