Malaysian palm oil price drops 2% on technical selling

Malaysian palm oil futures rose nearly 2 percent on Tuesday, hitting their highest in nearly three weeks, as production rose more slowly than expected.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian palm oil futures closed nearly 2% down on Tuesday, retreating from a three-week high hit in early trade as technical selling and concern over higher than expected production weighed on prices.

The benchmark palm oil contract for August delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange finished 1.95% down at 2,057 ringgit ($491.58) a tonne for its sharpest daily decline in more than a fortnight. The drop was also palm's first day of losses in six.