Crude palm oil (CPO) output in Malaysia reached a four-year high in the first quarter of 2023, but the sharp drop in CPO prices has resulted in record-low net profits for big producers. Comparing the first quarter of 2023 to the same period in 2022, net profits for the major producers dropped by 78.9%. The decline in profits is primarily attributed to the significant drop in the price of CPO, which was exacerbated by an export ban in Indonesia and disruptions in the export of sunflower oil from the Black Sea.
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