Forecast : Full Ivorian cocoa export revival to take weeks

ABIDJAN, April 19, 2011 - Ivory Coast cocoa exports will reach normal volumes no sooner than the end of April as authorities iron out new tax and customs procedures, banks reopen and security improves, shippers said on Tuesday.

The world's top grower of cocoa is slowly recovering from a violent post-election power struggle, which ended last week with the arrest of former President Laurent Gbagbo. 

"Exports will not fully restart until the end of the month because we need to fix a lot of things in terms of logistics, finances and so on," said the director of an export company based in Abidjan, who asked not to be named.

Burundi 2010/11 coffee revenues up almost 400 pct

BUJUMBURA, April 19, 2011- Burundi's coffee earnings from the 2010/11 crop jumped 396 percent to $82.8 million from the previous season due to high volumes and stronger global prices, the industry regulator said on Tuesday.

The estimate is higher than early forecasts of $81.6 million. The sector sold 23,548 tonnes of green beans, up from 6,381 tonnes in the 2009/10 harvest worth $16.7 million.

"Sales tripled compared to the previous season and prices at New York market were generally stronger," said a report by regulator ARFIC.

New York is a reference market for arabica beans from East Africa nations including Burundi.

Coffee is Burundi's top hard currency earner and employs some 800,000 smallholder farmers in the tiny central African nation of 8 million people.

Source : Reuters

Kenyan coffee prices rise as market breaks early

NAIROBI, April 19, 2011 - The top price of Kenya's benchmark grade AA coffee rose to $450 per 50-kg bag  at this week's sales from $428 per bag one week ago as buyers  mopped up stocks ahead of the long forced early break, the  Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) said on Tuesday.
 

Kenya's coffee marketing season traditionally breaks around  the July-August window, but owing to supply shortage this year  the NCE has suspended trading nearly three months earlier.

NY Coffee and Cocoa market close review for today, April 19, 2011

COFFEE
* July arabica coffee futures jumped 6.85 cents or  2.4 percent to settle near the session peak at $2.9425 per lb,  the highest settlement for the second position since March 9.
 

* July hit a five-week high for the fifth straight day.  Session high reached $2.9465, near last month's 34-year high  for the second position at $2.9665.
 

* Market rallied on a combination of buying by roasters,  investors and the trade as the market resumed its upward trend  amid decreasing producer selling - traders.