Palm set for third weekly drop, weighed down by rival oils

Malaysian palm oil futures declined for a fourth straight session on Friday and were set to post their third weekly drop as sluggish demand from top buyer India and losses in Dalian vegetable oils pressured prices.

The benchmark palm oil contract for April delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange lost 42 ringgit, or 1%, to 4,144 ringgit ($921.09) a metric ton by midday.

The contract fell to its lowest in more than three months earlier in the session, losing 4.67% this week.

“Lower imports by top buyer India are a major concern for the palm oil market, especially as competition intensifies from cheaper soyoil and rapeseed oil, which are attracting increasing demand,” a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house said.

Palm oil imports by India, the world’s biggest importer of the edible oil, are set to plunge to a near five-year low in January on negative refining margins as the tropical oil’s premium over rivals drives buyers to more competitively priced soyoil, government and industry officials told Reuters.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is temporarily freezing the distribution of subsidies for mandatory palm oil biodiesel and re-planting programmes due to a reorganisation at its palm oil fund agency, an official said, while hoping the transition can be concluded as quickly as possible.

Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract lost 1.84%, while its palm oil contract fell 1.31%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade gained 0.68%.

Palm oil tracks price movements in rival edible oils as it competes for a share of the global vegetable oils market.

Exports of Malaysian palm oil products for Jan. 1-15 are estimated to have fallen between 15.5% and 23.7%, according to cargo surveyors Intertek Testing Services and independent inspection company AmSpec Agri Malaysia.

Tags: Malaysia, palm oil, futures, benchmark contract, soyoil