Profits have risen at Indonesian palm oil producer MP Evans as the London-listed group boosted the amount of crop harvested in the first half.
During the six months to 30 June, the group increased the total crop processed by 8% to 798,200 tonnes, with 705,400 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches harvested from the hectarage managed at its estates in Indonesia, up from 619,100 tonnes a year ago.
The rise in the harvest follows a continuing trend of increasing yield per hectare as palms mature and as the group maximised output per hectare. MP Evans has also worked to increase the area under management and, for the first time, during 2026 had more than 70,000 hectares under cultivation throughout the period.
The group also supplemented its own harvest with the purchase of crop from outside suppliers to be processed in its mills.
MP Evans recorded an 11% increase in the total crude palm oil production in the period to 192,300 tonnes.
There was also a 1% rise in the mill-gate CPO price to $873 per tonne and a 8% reduction in the cost of the group palm product to $409 per tonne.
Revenues at MP Evans increased 9.4% to $196.3m in the half, while pre-tax profits rose 24.8% to $78.6m.
Chairman Peter Hadsley-Chaplin said: “The first half of 2026 has been particularly encouraging for the group, with increases in both crop harvested and extraction rates in our mills.
“Our focus on efficiency helps us to push down unit costs, and our gross margin has improved again, leading to another increase in earnings.”
He added the board was confident in taking another step in the Group’s “progressive approach to dividends”, with a 39% increase of the interim dividend of 25p a share.
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