July 07, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 10, 1427

JAKARTA, July 6: Indonesian palm oil prices were mixed, with gains in Malaysia crude palm oil futures supporting cooking oil, traders said on Thursday.

Trading was subdued with buyers mostly on the sidelines, waiting for clearer price leads.

At a local auction in North Sumatra's Medan, crude palm oil was little changed at 3,875 rupiah ($0.425) a kg versus 3,880 rupiah on Wednesday, suggesting low demand despite gains in Malaysia crude palm oil futures.

In Jakarta, the state marketing centre did not hold a palm oil auction for the local market on Thursday.

Buyers are not taking positions yet. We are watching if gains in Malaysia will hold in the next days, said a trader in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra and Indonesia's key port for palm oil exports.

Malaysian crude palm oil futures closed higher, with the benchmark third-month September contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives up 11 ringgit at 1,498 ringgit ($409) a ton.

In Jakarta, RBD palm olein in Jakarta was quoted at 4,300 rupiah a kg, up from 4,275 rupiah on Wednesday. No deals were reported.

The market is very quiet today. There are others who offer lower at between 4,280 and 4,295 because buyers seek the cheapest, said a trader in Jakarta.—Reuters