BOGOTA: Production of palm oil in Colombia will rise this year to 1.65 million tonnes, a 10% uptick on last year because of increased output, the president of the producers' association said on Wednesday.

Colombia is the world's fourth-largest producer of the oil - used in foodstuffs, cosmetics and biofuels - behind Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Production in the first half already rose 8% to 953,000 tonnes because of the harvesting of crops planted in previous years.