LIFFE certified cocoa stocks rise

LONDON, March 24, 2011 - NYSE Liffe said on Thursday that valid cocoa stocks in its nominated warehouses as of March 21 were 7,544 10-tonne Standard Delivery Units (SDUs) and 668 Large Delivery Units (LDUs).

According to the data, there were 20 valid 1,000-tonne Bulk Delivery Units (BDUs) in stock.

Valid SDUs increased by 500 in the two-week period, while valid LDUs rose by 37. Valid BDU's increased by nine.-----

Ivorian cocoa prices continue slide on export halt

ABIDJAN, March 24, 2011 - Cocoa prices fell at farms across Ivory Coast in the latest week as an ongoing export halt from the nation's ports thinned out buyers.

In the centre-west region of Daloa, which produces a quarter of the Ivory Coast harvest, farmers said the farmgate price hadslipped to 300 CFA/kg ($0.642) from 300-400 CFA/kg last week.

"The prices are catastrophically low," said farmer Marcel Aka, adding growers were tending subsistence crops on spareground, while delaying the harvest of ripe mid-crop cocoa.

Forecast and review market close : NY COFFEE, COCOA & SUGAR for today, March 24, 2011

02:01 25Mar11 -SOFTS-Sugar surges on Brazil rains, others stumble

* Brazil rains disrupting early 2011/12 cane harvest

* Pressure mounts on U.N. to stop violence in Ivory Coast

NEW YORK/LONDON, March 24, 2011 - Sugar futures bounded higher on Thursday on concern about delays to the harvest in top producer Brazil, but cocoa fell and coffee wound up mixed.

"Since the second half of February, cloudy and rainy conditions have also affected cane growth and this, added tothe drought damage suffered at the end of last season, may have a negative impact on productivity at the start of the harvesting season," Sucden Financial said in a market note.

Intermezo -- time to relax-- Coffee Ice cream

Ingredients:

* 1-3/4 cups milk;

* 1-3/4 cups cream;

* 4 tablespoons cornstarch;

* 2/3 cup sugar;

* 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder;

* 3 tbsp instant-coffee granules or espresso granules;

* 2 tsp vanilla.

Method: Stir together 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch. Whisk together sugar, cocoa, cream and remaining 1-1/4 cups milk in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Whisk in coffee granules. 

Stir cornstarch mixture again and whisk into coffee mixture. Return to a boil, whisking, then remove from heat. Add vanilla to saucepan, stirring. Set saucepan in a large bowl of ice water to cool, whisking frequently. F

reeze coffee mixture in ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and store in freezer. More????

Foreign businessmen scrambling to collect coffee

VietNamNet Bridge – Foreign businessmen are jumping on the bandwagon, scrambling to purchase coffee with Vietnamese businessmen. Analysts have warned that once foreign businessmen control the market, they will force collection prices down, thus making farmers suffer.

Van Thanh Huy, General Director of Inexim Daklak Company, complained that there is an unhealthy competition in collecting coffee from farmers.

Huy related that when the new crop began, Inexim Daklak spent money to help 100 households in Cu M’gar district in Daklak province to grow 100 hectares of coffee. 

Farmers were given technical guidance, a variety of coffee and received advanced money to pay for fertilizer and oil for watering. 

Cocoa Rich in Health Benefits

Cocoa Consumption May Decrease Blood Pressure, Improve Cholesterol, Researchers Say

March 23, 2011 -- Cocoa, used throughout history as a folk medicine, may actually have significant health benefits, according to a new study by Harvard researchers.

Their analysis of 21 studies with 2,575 participants shows that cocoa consumption is associated with decreased blood pressure, improved blood vessel health, and improvement in cholesterol levels, among other benefits.

Weather, bad crops pushing price higher for coffee lovers

Your morning jolt of java is about to get more expensive -- if it hasn't already.

Bad weather, bad crops and bearish commodity traders have piled on prices that already were the highest in decades to the point retailers say they have no choice but to pass the cost on to you.

Starbucks, along with the makers of Maxwell House and Folgers, among others, raised some prices in the fall. And last week Starbucks announced plans to raise prices it charges retailers for packaged coffee by up to 12 percent to cope with higher costs for beans.