Maybank Investment Bank Research has projected that trading opportunities have emerged in the crude palm oil (CPO) futures market in Q1 2024, as prices are expected to trend higher in the near term. The price of CPO is expected to strengthen this month due to a low output cycle, lack of competing oils, and expected Ramadan-driven demand boost. Maybank IB Research expects the CPO price to briefly breach RM4,200 per tonne in February to March 2024. However, the CPO price is expected to trend lower by mid-2024, as supplies improve with the availability of new South American harvests and anticipation of CPO output recovery in the second half of 2024. The sustainable long-term CPO price will always be referenced against producers' unit cost of production, and Maybank IB Research expects Malaysian planters' unit cost to ease somewhat in 2024 relative to 2023 on lower fertiliser cost and improving yields.