Cargill says Dutch cocoa plant back online in days

AMSTERDAM, April 11 (Reuters) - Production in a cocoa processing plant in the 

Netherlands damaged in a fire on Sunday will resume within the next few days, owner U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill said on Monday.

On Sunday evening a fire broke out in the dust aspiration system of Cargill's cocoa processing plant in Wormer but was put quickly under control, Cargill said in a statement.

"We have assessed the equipment affected and expect production to resume within the next few days," the company said.

The fire was the second at a Dutch cocoa plant in as many days. On Saturday a fire broke out in an Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) cocoa processing plant in the same town.

ADM said in a statement on Monday that the facility remained operational, though its capacity was reduced.
In 2003 a fire in ADM's plant spread to cocoa warehoused and burned for several days. 

Source : reuters

Brazil coffee crop shapes up well, weather helping

BRASILIA, April 11, 2011 - Brazil is set to gather a good quality coffee during the world's biggest harvest, starting in mid-May, helped by improved rains and increased spending to boost yields, producers told Reuters on Monday.

The global coffee market cannot afford for much to go wrong with the harvest, which provides about one-third of the global supply. Low global stocks and rising consumption have led to a doubling of prices since June last year.

NY Cocoa market close review for today, April 11, 2011

* Key July cocoa futures rose $43 to settle at $3,028 a tonne.

* May/July position rolling kept volume strong ahead of  first notice day for May on April 15 - traders.
 

* The arrest of Ivory Coast's Gbagbo ends a four-month  standoff with presidential rival Alassane Ouattara, but it may  not be enough to end a civil war and soothe ethnic divisions in  the world's top cocoa grower. 

* Market pared its gains after Gbagbo was arrested as it  raised hopes that the world's top grower will resume its cocoa  exports soon - traders.
 

* Production in a Cargill cocoa processing plant in the  Netherlands damaged in a fire on Sunday will resume within the  next few days.

Source : reuters 

NY coffee ( arabica ) market close review for today, April 11, 2011

* May arabica coffee futures inched down 0.35 cent  to finish at $2.7460 per lb.
 

* Market appeared set to move higher after last week's key  reversal higher while tight supplies continued to underpin  prices - traders.
 

* Fresh long buying by investors lifted the market earlier  - Sterling Smith, analyst with Country Hedging.
 

* Position rolling out of May into July, ahead of first  notice day April 20, lifted volume - traders.
Source : reuters

Burundi coffee earnings nearly double in March

BUJUMBURA, April 11, 2011 - Burundi's coffee earnings leapt 90 percent in March from a month earlier, as the 2010/11 marketing season drew to a close, the industry regulator said on Monday.

The country's regulator (ARFIC) said the sector collected $7.4 million from the sale of 2.1 million kgs, up from $3.9 million earned in February from the sale of 951,420 kg.

"The beans sold in March were the last ones for the 2010/11 crop. Traders bought everything, even the coffee lots ... of low quality," said a report by ARFIC.

Cocoa rises after Ivory Coast's Gbagbo arrested

NEW YORK/LONDON, April 11, 2011 - Cocoa futures pared gains on Monday after Ivory Coast's defeated leader Laurent Gbagbo was arrested and the European Union lifted sanctions on the top producer's two main ports, indicating export resumption was near.

Sugar rose after the U.S. Agriculture Department authorized the imports of nearly 295,000 tonnes in fiscal 2011, while coffee prices dipped on light producer selling. 

Specs go net short in U.S. cocoa - CFTC

Speculators shifted to a net short position in ICE cocoa futures and options, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed on Friday, as it

appeared the export ban would soon be lifted in top grower Ivory Coast.

Speculators of U.S. cocoa switched to a net short position of 3,485 lots in the week ending April 5, cutting 6,560 lots, the CFTC said.