LONDON: London cocoa futures on ICE rose on Thursday, boosted partly by a weaker pound and unrest in top grower Ivory Coast, while raw sugar and arabica coffee were slightly lower.
COCOA
December London cocoa gained 12 pounds, or 0.77 percent, to 1,564 pounds a tonne by 1354 GMT, after hitting 1,577 pounds, its highest in nearly five weeks.
The market was lifted by a weaker pound, which dipped back below $1.30 on concerns British ministers are prepared to walk away from Brexit talks without a deal.
Dealers said prices were also supported by new unrest in top producer Ivory Coast.
Gunmen, some of them in military uniforms, attacked the base of an elite security unit in Ivory Coast's main city, and stole stocks of weapons as part of a series of overnight clashes, the defence minister said on Thursday.
A positive close in the previous session also improved the technical structure, dealers said.
"There's potential for some more upside short-covering," said one dealer. "But whether the real fundamentals are pointing to a higher market is yet to be determined."
The market awaited second-quarter North American grind data, due out later on Thursday, with seven traders estimating a range of 1 percent lower to 3 percent higher. Most were around 2 percent higher.
December New York cocoa was up $12, or 0.61 percent, at $1,991 a tonne.
SUGAR
October raw sugar was off 0.05 cent, or 0.34 percent, at 14.45 cents per lb.
Dealers said the market was underpinned by the possibility that cold weather in Brazil may have caused crop damage but noted the upside may be capped until there is more clarity.
"Until the market gets a transparent update on the potential scale of the cane damage we will probably fall back into the recent range in the near to medium term," Sucden Financial senior trader Nick Penney said.
October white sugar was off $0.60, or 0.15 percent, at $398.00 a tonne.
COFFEE
September robusta coffee rose $3, or 0.14 percent, to $2,113 per tonne.
Steady rains in the Central Highlands, Vietnam's main coffee growing region, are providing enough water for the upcoming crop, with harvest season expected to start in late November or early December, traders said on Thursday.
September arabica coffee slipped 0.55 cent, or 0.41 percent, to $1.3525.
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