RTRS:Asian palm output growth slows as yields taper off

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Reuters) - Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's top palm producers, will see only a small rise in output this year due to tree stress after months of good harvests and less fertiliser usage, a top industry analyst said on Thursday.
Indonesian output of the tropical oil was expected to rise 7.9 percent to 20.6 million tonnes while Malaysian production was seen rising slightly to 17.9-18 million tonnes, said Thomas Mielke, head of German oilseeds research group Oil World.
The Malaysian forecast is higher than the 17.6 million tonnes Mielke forecast in November, and up from the 17.7 million tonnes produced in 2008.