October 20, 2006	Friday	Ramazan 26, 1427

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19: Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose by on Thursday, lifted by higher price of rival soyaoil and demand before next week's religious holidays.

But trading was thin as the market awaited an update on palm oil exports from cargo surveyors, traders said.

The benchmark third-month January contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives was up 4 ringgit at 1,616 ringgit ($440) a ton at the end of the morning session.

Other traded contracts were up 5 to 6 ringgit. Overall volume stood at 1,587 lots of 25 tons each, down from 4,000 to 5,000 lots in normal morning trade.

Cargo surveyors Intertek Testing Services and Societe General de Surveillance are due to release their export numbers for Oct. 1-20 on Friday.

The market will be closed from Oct. 23 to 25 for the Muslim Eid -ul-Fitr festival to mark the end of the Ramazan fasting month.

Traders said palm oil production is likely to be affected by the holidays although this is not expected to lead to any supply shortage as stocks are at a record high of 1.799 million tons.

In the physical crude palm oil market, October shipment was quoted at 1,540/1,545 ringgit a ton. Trades were done at 1,540 ringgit a ton.—Reuters