PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — Crude palm oil (CPO) prices on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange strengthened again on Thursday (March 12, 2026), extending the upward trend seen in previous sessions as the rally in global crude oil prices lifted sentiment across the vegetable oil market.
Reported by Bernama, rising global energy prices have improved the competitiveness of vegetable oils, particularly palm oil, which is widely used as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The development has encouraged market participants to remain optimistic about the short-term outlook for CPO prices.
At the close of trading, the March 2026 CPO contract increased by RM40 to RM4,425 per ton. Meanwhile, the April 2026 contract rose by RM40 to RM4,511 per ton, and the August 2026 contract also gained RM40 to reach RM4,480 per ton.
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The May 2026 contract climbed RM42 to RM4,541 per ton. Meanwhile, the June and July 2026 contracts each advanced RM43, settling at RM4,536 per ton and RM4,514 per ton respectively.
Trading activity also showed a notable increase during the session. Total trading volume reached 137,656 lots, significantly higher than the 94,388 lots recorded in the previous trading day.
Open interest also expanded to 229,441 contracts from 224,565 contracts previously, indicating stronger participation and growing interest from market players in palm oil futures.
In the physical market, the South Malaysia CPO price for March shipment rose by RM60 to RM4,500 per ton, reflecting the continued positive sentiment in the global palm oil market.
In line with the international market trend, domestic CPO prices in Indonesia also moved higher. The CPO price set by PT Kharisma Pemasaran Bersama Nusantara (KPBN) was recorded at IDR 15,655 per kg on Thursday (March 12, 2026).
This represents an increase of IDR 280 per kg, or about 1.82 percent, compared with Wednesday’s (March 11, 2026) price of IDR 15,375 per kg.
The strengthening prices indicate that the global palm oil market continues to receive support from external factors, particularly the movement of global energy prices and the sustained demand outlook for biodiesel in several countries. (P3)
