KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian benchmark palm oil futures rose on Monday, supported by improved demand and forecasts that stockpiles will drop on falling production ahead of a data release from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
A Reuters poll forecasts Malaysian stockpiles in April will decline as production slumps versus a year ago. Malaysian end-stocks may drop 3.5 percent to a 14-month low of 1.82 million tonnes in April, in the absence of a sharp seasonal jump in output, the poll showed. Output is forecast to rise 8 percent to 1.32 million tonnes from March, but decline 22 percent year-on-year.