September 07, 2006	Thursday	Sha'aban 13, 1427

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6: Malaysian crude palm oil futures closed mixed in lacklustre trading on Wednesday, as the market awaited fresh trading opportunities.

Traders said the market was awaiting August output and stocks data due to be released by industry regulator the Malaysian Palm Oil Board on Monday.

Palm oil stocks in Malaysia, the world's largest producer, are expected to have declined only 1.1 per cent in August from a month earlier, as exports and output show equally strong growth, a Reuters poll showed last week.

Palm oil output is estimated to have risen 9.1 per cent to 1.5 million tons in August, according to the median estimate of five plantation houses polled by Reuters.

According to cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services, exports of Malaysian palm oil products in August stood at 1,339,032 tons, up 9.3 per cent from the 1,225,495 tons shipped in July.

Another cargo surveyor, Societe Generale de Surveillance, said exports during the month stood at 1,367,456 tons, up 12.8 per cent from the 1,211,764 tons shipped in July.

In the physical crude palm oil market, sellers were quoting 1,555 ringgit a ton for September shipment and buyers 1,550 ringgit. Trades were done between 1,550 and 1,555 ringgit a ton.—Reuters