In its January 2025 industry performance report, MPOB said crude palm oil (CPO) production for the month slid by 16.80%, or 249,864 tonnes, to 1.24 million tonnes from 1.49 million tonnes in the preceding month.

Palm kernel output dropped by 13.57% month-on-month to 290,883 tonnes in January from 336,558 tonnes in the previous month.

The production of crude palm kernel oil declined by 12.60% to 137,158 tonnes from 156,926 tonnes in December, while palm kernel cake fell by 12.16% to 151,813 tonnes from 172,826 tonnes.

In terms of inventory, MPOB reported that CPO stocks decreased by 11.78% to 788,946 tonnes against 894,330 tonnes in December.

Processed palm oil stockpiles were lower by 2.90% to 790,817 tonnes in January 2025 from 814,426 tonnes in the preceding month, while total palm oil stocks narrowed by 7.55% to 1.58 million tonnes from 1.71 million tonnes in December.

MPOB noted a significant drop in palm kernel oil exports by 40.85% to 56,737 tonnes in January from 95,918 tonnes in December.

Palm kernel cake exports inched lower by 0.09% to 177,396 tonnes in January from 177,553 tonnes in the previous month.

However, biodiesel exports surged by 121.89% to 33,795 tonnes in January from 15,231 previously, while oleochemical exports in January were higher at 232,567 tonnes, a 4.08% increase from 223,447 tonnes in December.

MPOB reported zero CPO imports in January, whereas total palm kernel oil imports fell by 72.04% to 5,673 tonnes from 20,291 tonnes in the preceding month.