KUCHING: Sarawak’s crude palm oil (CPO) monthly production has fallen sharply at the start to the new year, slipping to 272,534 tonnes in January 2022 from 340,860 tonnes in December 2021 or down by 68,326 tonnes or 20 per cent.
Last month’s output was also lower as compared to 280,769 tonnes in January 2021, according to data from Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
Sarawak’s 2021 total CPO production was about 3.91 million tonnes or an average monthly of 33,786 tonnes. The 2020 production was 4.05 million tonnes.
However, Sarawak still ranked top two among CPO producing states in Malaysia losing only to neighbouring Sabah which recorded output of 341.293 tonnes last month which was significantly higher than 263,035 tonnes in January 2021 but lower than 378,433 tonnes in December 2021.
The Sarawak-Sabah combined production last month was 613,827 tonnes (2021 Jan:543,804 tonnes) against total production of 639,615 tonnes (582,653 tonnes) by states in Peninsula.
In the peninsula, the top producer is Johore which recorded 189,578 tonnes (170,900 tonnes), followed by Pahang 184,558 tonnes (146,582 tonnes) and Perak 119,962 tonnes ( 127,893 tonnes).
Nationwide, the total CPO production last month was down by 13.5 per cent to 1.25 million tonnes from 1.45 million tonnes in December 2021.
On CPO stocks, Malaysia’s inventory fell to 786,828 tonnes last month from 852,877 tonnes in December 2021 or a decrease of 66,049 tonnes or 7.8 per cent.
The CPO stocks in Sarawak declined sharply to 112,903 tonnes (167,793 tonnes) but that of Sabah rose to 320,823 tonnes (302,425 tonnes).
In the peninsula, the CPO stocks plunged to 353,102 tonnes (382,659 tonnes).
The MPOB figures shown that month-on-month, Malaysia exported 200,274 tonnes of CPO worth about RM1.04 billion, which shrank from 498,663 tonnes valued at about RM2.6 billion in December 2021.
On palm kernel, Malaysia’s total production last month was 309,120 tonnes, which was significantly lower than 350,493 tonnes in December 2021.Production of palm kernel in Sarawak was down to 61,270 tonnes (77,957 tonnes) while Sabah also reported lower production of 79,111 tonnes (84,945 tonnes).
The Sarawak-Sabah combined production of 140,381 tonnes was lower than 168,739 tonnes recorded in the peninsula last month.
Again, Sabah and Sarawak took the top two spots as the key producing states of palm kernel. Last month,the country’s palm kernel stocks stood at 117,355 tonnes.
In January 2022, the country reported a 12.4 percent decline in the exports of palm kernel to 82,667 tonnes from 94,349 tonnes in the preceding month.
Sarawak also recorded lower production of crude palm kernel oil to 30,794 tonnes last month from 34,099 tonnes in December 2021.Month-on-month, Sarawak crude palm kernel oil output was down to 37,234 tonnes from 39,480 tonnes.
The Sarawak-Sabah combined production was 68,028 tonnes against 85,145 tonnes in the peninsula, bringing total production in the country to 85,145 tonnes last month.
On palm kernel cake, the country’s total production was down to 174,810 tonnes from 188,196 tonnes month-on-month.
Sarawak registered lower production of 34,842 tonnes (37,346 tonnes) but Sabah increased production to 45,816 tonnes from 45,438 tonnes in December 2021.
According to MPOB, Malaysia exported 231,171 tonnes of olechemicals last month, a decline of 4.3 per cent from 241,469 tonnes in the preceding month.
On the other hand, the exports of biodiesel soared to 28,375 tonnes from 15,339 tonnes or a whopping increase of 91.5 per cent.
On oil palm planted area as at December 31, 2021,Sarawak tops the list among states with about 1.61 million hectares or 28 per cent of the country’s total 5.74 million hectares nationwide.
About 1.45 million hectares or 90.2 per cent of the oil palm areas in Sarawak are matured.
Sabah as the second biggest oil palm planted areas of 1.52 million hectares or 26.6 per cent of the country’s total hectarage.
About 1.33 million hectares or 87.4 per cent of the areas are matured.
The Sarawak-Sabah combined planted areas is 2.78 million hectares or 54.5 per cent of the country’s total.
The peninsula Malaysia states have total planted areas of 2.36 million hectares, about 90.6 per centare matured.
Pahang leads the pack with planted areas of 686,560 hectares (13.2 per cent), followed by Johore 652,568 hectares (12.2 per cent) and Perak 335,998 hectares (6.4 per cent).
Other states are Negeri Sembilan (171,151 hectares or 3.2 percent), Trengganu (142,585 hectares or 3 per cent), Kelantan (136,943 hectares or 2.9 per cent), Selangor (100,495 hectares or 1.9 per cent), Kedah (76,071 hectares or 1.5 per cent), Malacca (50,219 hectares or 0.9 per cent) and Pulau Pinang (9,522 hectares or 0.2 per cent).
