KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian palm oil futures rose on Friday for a third successive session to the highest in 2-1/2 weeks, tracking gains in other vegetable oils and supported by expectations of lower output.

Palm traders say the onset of the monsoon season in key Southeast Asian producing countries could crimp supplies and help boost prices. Palm also found support as soybean oil prices in China climbed slightly.

The February benchmark palm oil contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended 0.9 per cent higher at 2,361 ringgit ($555) per tonne. The contract fell to a near one-month low earlier this week at 2,260 ringgit per tonne.

Traded volumes for benchmark palm stood at 27,065 lots of 25 tonnes each, below the 35,000 average lots usually traded by the end of the session.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2015