KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's December palm oil end-stocks slumped 19% from the month before to 1.26 million tonnes, data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) showed on Monday.

Crude palm oil production fell 10.6% from November to 1.33 million tonnes.

Palm oil exports surged 24.7% to 1.62 million tonnes, MPOB said.

A Reuters poll had pegged December inventories to fall 12% to 1.22 million tonnes, their lowest in more than 13 years. Production was seen down 11%, while exports were seen rising 15%.