KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — Palm oil production in Malaysia, the world’s second-largest producer of the edible oil, will rise by 3 per cent in 2018, an industry body forecast today.

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) expects production to climb to 20.5 million tonnes from 19.9 million tonnes produced in 2017, the group’s director general Datuk Ahmad Kushairi Din said at an industry conference.

Malaysia’s exports are forecast to increase 5.1 per cent to 17.4 million tonnes this year, while palm oil stockpiles are expected to drop 15.8 per cent to 2.3 million tonnes, he said. — Reuters