Soft futures edge higher, cocoa at 8-month high

Soft futures surged on Friday with arabica rebounding after yesterdays plunge and cocoa hit an eight-month high in London.

On the ICE Futures U.S. exchange, arabica coffee for September delivery traded at $1.2885 a pound at 13:08 GMT, up 0.90% on the day. Prices held in a range between days high and low of $1.2963 and $1.2755 a pound respectively. The C contract has advanced five consecutive days this week and hit the highest level since May 20 on Thursday at $1.3350, extending weekly advance to over 7.7%.

Coffee was well supported recently as unfavorable weather conditions in the worlds top grower Brazil spurred concern over damage to production. MDA Weather Services in Gaithersburg, Maryland, said in a report yesterday that frost will be a significant threat across Brazils southern growing areas on July 23 and July 24.

Sterling Smith, a futures specialist at Citigroup Inc. in Chicago, said for Bloomberg: “Frost premium and weather jitters will allow for the occasional sharp rally. Without a weather issue, the market will have trouble sustaining rallies.”

Meanwhile on the NYSE Liffe in London, robusta also gained on the day, trading at $1 989 a ton at 13:08 GMT, up 0.96% on the day. Prices held in range between high and low of $1 995 and $1 950 a ton respectively. Robusta beans surged nine days out of ten, extending current weeks advance to over 6.1% after it gained over 6.4% in the preceding two.

The sort was supported as frost threatened robusta growing in Brazil, as well. Meanwhile, farmers in top grower Vietnam continued to hold back supplies amid rising local prices, which were the highest since May 28 on Monday. Vietnamese shipments plunged by 37% on the year to 88 397 tons in June. Also, deliveries from Indonesia, the third biggest producer, slid 28% compared to last year as wet weather delayed bean-drying.

Meanwhile, cocoa on the NYSE Liffe surged 0.44% on the day, trading at GBP 1 615 a ton at 13:09 GMT. Prices held in ranged between days high at GBP 1 625, an eight-month high, and low of GBP 1 609 a ton. Cocoa gained for five straight days, extending this weeks advance to over 6.5% after climbing more than 5.1% during the preceding two. Prices drew support amid concern the main-crop in Ivory Coast and Ghana will probably be delayed due to dry weather and a large mid-crop, the first annual one.

Meanwhile on the ICE Futures U.S. Exchange, sugar futures for October delivery traded at $0.1623 a pound at 13:07 GMT, remaining flat on the day. Prices held in range between days high and low of $0.1628 and $0.1618 per pound respectively. The sweetener surged 0.9% yesterday, bringing this weeks advance to over 0.9% after declining almost 5% in the previous two.

Weather forecaster Somar Meteorologia said on July 15 that a cold front will bring rain to some of Brazil’s sugar-cane growing areas, reducing the crop’s potential to yield sugar. The Brazilian industry group Unica already trimmed its production forecast for the 2013-2014 season, which started in April, down to 34.1 million tons from 35.5 million.

The sweetener hit a three-year low of $0.1594 a pound on Tuesday but rebounded after Unica trimmed its crop output forecast. Meanwhile, Indonesia, the world’s second biggest importer, may purchase 16% more raw sugar this year in order to meet rising domestic consumption.