Palm olein now trades at a US$70 (RM210) premium to a tonne of

Argentine soyaoil, triggering concerns that demand will slow and weigh

on benchmark palm oil futures that is set to post its worst monthly

loss in February in more than a year.

Thomas Mielke, editor

of Hamburg-based Oil World, said the fading La Nina weather condition

in coming weeks will aid the recovery in Malaysian and Indonesian

output that has been curbed by heavy rains and floods in early 2011.

The same can be said for the Argentine soya crop that has now

experienced favourable rains after a prolonged dry spell owing to the

weather condition.

“A discount will emerge soon. Palm oil

will then further widen the gap as production yields will recover,”

Mielke said ahead of the Bursa Malaysia Palm Oil Conference on March