The National Assembly of France agreed to impose an additional tax on imports of crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives used for the production of food products. An additional tax of 90 euro per ton (on top of the existing 104 euro per ton import tariff) is expected to be implemented in 2017. This tax increase is part of France's wider biodiversity bill that aims to reduce deforestation and protects French citizens from the negative health effects from consuming palm oil. Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's largest CPO producers have objected strongly to this higher tax.

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It is estimated that Indonesia’s export of crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives have fallen in February 2015 due to sluggish demand from India and China, the world’s two largest palm oil importers, while the globe’s soybean output increased (soybean oil is a close substitute to palm oil for food and biodiesel uses). Based on a median of six palm oil growers, analysts and official estimates, Indonesian shipments of palm oil (including palm kernel) fell six percent month-to-month (m/m) to 1.7 million metric tons in February.

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Indonesia Investments has updated the company profile of Sampoerna Agro in the Indonesian Companies section. Sampoerna Agro, part of the Sampoerna Strategic Group, is one of the country’s leading producers of palm oil and palm kernel. It further produces rubber and sago. It operates a total of 120,225 hectares of oil palm estates, 2,810 hectares of rubber estates and 10,351 hectares of sago estates, mostly located on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, and owns six palm oil mills.

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Indonesia Investment updated the company profile of PT BW Plantation Tbk. BW Plantation is a mid-sized agricultural company that is engaged in Indonesia's palm oil sector. Its primary business activities are the development, cultivation and harvesting of fresh fruit bunches (FFB), and extraction of crude palm oil (CPO) as well as palm kernel (PK). The company is equipped with three CPO mills with a total processing capacity of 135 tons per hour. In 2014, a fourth and fifth processing plant are under construction.

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Perusahaan Perkebunan London Sumatra Indonesia (PP London Sumatra Indonesia or Lonsum), controlled by the powerful Salim Group, is an Indonesian plantation company focused on the production of palm oil, rubber, tea and cocoa. Its estates are located on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. Amid weak global demand for commodities, the company posted a 72.1 percent fall in net profit over the first six months of 2013. Its shares have fallen 48.0 percent since the first trading day of 2013.

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Indonesia's palm oil exports (palm oil and palm kernel) rose by 9.1 percent (month-on-month) to 2.04 million metric tons in February, according to data from the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki). This level - the highest in about five years - was brought on due to increased purchases from China and Pakistan. Indonesia's palm oil industry may experience a better year in 2013 as exports in the first two months of 2013 rose 29 percent from last year.

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BW Plantation (BWPT), a mid-sized crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernels (PK) producer, felt the impact of weak global demand for commodities in 2012. The company's net profit in 2012 fell 18.17 percent to IDR 262.18 billion (US $26.89 million). Profit per share fell to IDR 64,83 from IDR 79,35 per share last year. The decline in profit was particularly caused by an increase in operating expenses from IDR 131.05 billion (US $13.44 million) to IDR 153.87 billion (US $15.78 million).

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Indonesia's production of crude palm oil (CPO) in the first six months of 2013 rose 25.64 percent compared to semester I-2012 to 14.7 million tons, which is a little over half of this year's CPO production target. Despite weak global demand for the commodity (accompanied by falling CPO prices), growth was accomplished due to new seeds that became productive and because the total size of Indonesian palm oil estates continues to expand. Productive estates now stand at 9.4 million hectares from 8.7 million hectares last year.

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The recovery in global palm oil prices that seemed to have started last spring, has ended. A few months ago, optimism had colored expectations of many analysts as palm oil prices went up about 10 percent between early May and mid-June, after tumbling 30 percent in 2012 (causing that palm oil was one of the worst performing commodities in terms of price growth last year). However, the palm oil price increase earlier this year was merely the result of falling production rates in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's largest palm oil producers.

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Shareholders of Astra Agro Lestari, Indonesia's largest agribusiness company by value (which is particularly engaged in palm oil and rubber plantations), agreed to distribute IDR 1.08 trillion (USD $111 million) in dividends to its shareholders. The allocated amount is equivalent to about 45 percent of the company's net profit in 2012. Dividend per share is set at IDR 685 (USD $0.071). Last November, the company had already paid interim dividend of IDR 230 per share. Final dividend will be paid on 3 June 2013.

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