JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (AALI) produced 137,277 tons of crude palm oil (CPO) in January 2014, increased 1.2% from 135,681 tons in the same period of 2013.
Kernel production also increased 3.7% to 29,377 tons. However, nucleus and plasma FFB production dropped 5.7% to 437,159 tons from 463,693 tons last year.
Based on Oil World report, Indonesia’s CPO production in 2014 is forecasted to grow by 5.6% compared to 2013, from 28.4 million tons to 30 million tons.
Slow world economic growth has impacted to Indonesia’s lower export demand, so that Indonesia’s CPO export volume in 2014 is predicted to decrease by 1.9% totaling of 21 million tons from 21.4 million tons in 2013.
While strong world’s CPO price has affected the increase in AALI’s CPO price. Up to January 2014, AALI’s CPO average selling price has reached Rp 8,829/kg (net), increased significantly by 44.4% from Rp 6,113/kg compared to the same period last year.
AALI’s CPO sales performance which decreased by 23% from 131,868 tons in January 2013 to 101,486 tons in January 2014, is the impact of the declined FFB production and some of the CPO produced were allocated as raw material for the refinery which started operating in January 2014.
Meanwhile, kernel sales volume increased by 2.2% to 30,141 tons and kernel selling price increased by 105.1% from Rp 2,681 /kg to Rp 5,500 /kg.