Jakarta, July 29, 2009 ---- In the 1^st. Half of 2009, PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (AALI) booked its Net Sales (unaudited) of Rp 3.54 trillion or dropped by 23% compare to same period in 2008 which was Rp 4.64 trillion. The main reason is because of the decrease of CPO price world-wide which had occurred since last quarter of 2008. AALI’s CPO average selling price for the 1^st. Half of 2009 recorded as Rp 6,386/kg or decreased by 23.1% compare to the same period in 2008 which recorded as Rp 8,299/kg. The decreasing of its Net Sales impacted to the lower of Company’s Net Profit in the 1^st. Half of 2009 which was becoming Rp 769.85 billion or dropped by 51.8% compare to the same period in 2008 which was Rp 1.6 trillion.

Company’s CPO production in the 1^st. Half of 2009 reached 499,444 metric tones or slightly rose by 1.1% compare to same period in 2008 which was 496,074 metric tones.

In the 1^st. Half of 2009 AALI expanded its new planting area by 3,712 hectares. With that additional area, AALI manages totally of 254,595 hectares of Oil Palm plantations. From those areas, 194,611 hectares are mature plantation. The Company currently operates 20 units of palm oil mills with total capacity of 940 metric tones Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB)/hour, while to anticipate production increase of FFB in the future, in line with the growth of the maturity of the plantation, AALI is currently in the process of completing 1 unit new palm oil mill in East Kalimantan with the capacity of 45 metric tones FFB / hour.