Indonesia's Astra Agro says H1 CPO sales up 20 pct

JAKARTA, July 17 (Reuters) - Indonesia's largest listed plantation company, PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (AALI.JK), said on Thursday its crude palm oil (CPO) sales volume in the first half jumped 19.6 percent to 476,909 tonnes from a year ago.

The company, owned by Indonesia's largest automotive distributor PT Astra International Tbk (ASII.JK), also said its average CPO selling price in the first half of 2008 rose 58.9 percent to 8,299 rupiah ($0.908) per kg. ($1=9,136 Rupiah) (Reporting by Harry Suhartono, editing by Ed Davies)