Palm oil eases

Malaysian palm oil futures eased on Monday as traders booked profits after strong gains last week, but the prospect of seasonally weaker output in the world's top producers, Indonesia and Malaysia, buoyed prices.

Palm oil prices soared 4.1 per cent last week, fuelled by fears that super typhoon Haiyan had caused severe damage to coconut crops in the Philippines, disrupting coconut oil supply from the world's biggest exporter and shifting demand to palm-based substitutes.

"Prices have gone up too fast and it's only proper that the market consolidates," said a trader with a local commodities brokerage.

"But since we don't see a major pick up in production, investors are taking a very bullish stance, especially as we get into the first quarter of the year - where production always dips," the Malaysia-based trader said.

"Based on this, after all this consolidation, the market will gradually go close to RM2,700, maybe even RM2,800 in the first quarter of 2014."

By the mid-day break, the benchmark February contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange had fallen 1.0 per cent to RM2,589 per tonne. Prices were stuck in a range of RM2,579-RM2,594.

Total traded volume stood at 17,712 lots of 25 tonnes each, higher than the average 12,500 lots.

Palm's export demand will also be in focus in November and December. Demand typically softens as countries in the northern hemisphere approach winter and buyers cut back purchases of the tropical oil that solidifies in cold temperatures.

But investors are hoping that China, the world's second largest palm oil buyer, will continue to import palm as buyers re-stock ahead of the start of the Lunar New Year festival in January.

Technicals showed that Malaysian palm oil is expected to test support at RM2,565 per tonne, with a good chance of breaking this level and falling towards RM2,506, said Reuters market analyst Wang Tao.

In other markets, Brent crude slipped towards US$108 a barrel as traders focused on a resumption of talks between Iran and major powers that may lead to a rise in oil supply.

In competing vegetable oil markets, the US soyoil contract for December rose 0.2 per cent in early Asian trade. The most active May soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodities Exchange fell 1.4 per cent.