PTPN VII'S PROFIT UP 3.26 PCT LAST YEAR

Palembang, S Sumatra, Aug 7 (ANTARA) - State plantation firm PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VII said on Thursday it posted a net profit of Rp260.840 billion last year, up 3.26 percent from a year earlier.

A rise in the sales of four commodities, namely rubber, palm oil, sugar and tea contributed to the 2008 net profit, PTPN VII Human Resources and General Affairs Director Budi Santoso said.

In total, the commodities contributed Rp336.667 billion to the company's profit before tax last year, he said.

The sales of the commodities rose by 26.8 percent to Rp3.421 trillion in 2008 from Rp2.698 trillion in 2007, he said.

Rubber sales rose by 30.5 percent in 2008 to Rp1.322 trillion from a year earlier. Nearly 75.2 percent of the rubber was exported and 24.8 percent was marketed at home, he said.

The 2008 rubber production consisted of RSS totaling 54,146 tons and SIR totaling 47,726 tons, he said.

He said the sales of palm oil and derivatives increased to Rp1.374 trillion in 2008 from Rp1.106 trillion the year before.

Palm oil prices tended to fall in the second semester of 2008 after they rallied in the previous semester, he said.

Sugar sales increased by 19.6 percent to Rp622.33 billion in 2009 from Rp520.29 billion a year ago, he said.

By volume sugar output rose to 132,926 tons in 2008 from 117,831 tons in 2007, he said.

Tea sales grew by 22 percent to Rp34.869 billion in 2008 from Rp28.447 billion in 2007, he said.