LONDON: New York cocoa futures on ICE slipped on Friday as speculative buying petered out, while raw sugar and coffee also eased.
COCOA
July New York cocoa was down $8, or 0.3 percent, at $2,833 a tonne by 1042 GMT, having touched a session low of $2,814.
Dealers said funds were taking a breather after a recent buying spree, though favourable technicals meant further upside was still likely.
"There's a growing sense of exasperation among traders because the market doesn't seem to be following any fundamentals," one dealer said. "It's all in the hands of the funds."
Participants were awaiting government data, due later on Friday, for indications of recent fund activity.
One dealer said he expected speculators to have maintained or slightly trimmed their large bullish stance in the market.
July London cocoa rose 5 pounds, or 0.3 percent, to 1,945 pounds a tonne in thin volume.
Technically, the market was in overbought territory, but the trend remained broadly positive, dealers said.
Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, will impose heavy fines and prison sentences to combat illegal smuggling of agricultural produce under a government decree approved on Thursday.
SUGAR
July raw sugar fell 0.03 cents, or 0.3 percent, to 11.66 cents per lb, extending losses from the previous session.
August white sugar was down $0.60, or 0.2 percent, at $322.90 a tonne.
Both markets fell sharply this week after India approved plans to subsidise its sugar industry, potentially paving the way for exports to the global market.
While prices have since recovered somewhat, the market focus remained on ample global supplies.
Thai sugar production is expected to jump 50 percent to 15 million tonnes after this season's cane crop reached a record of about 135 million tonnes, Sucden said in a quarterly update.
"The industry might also decide to carry as raw sugar some of the exportable surplus to 2018/19, but the odds of large production again next year will limit this option," Sucden said.
COFFEE
July arabica coffee slipped by 0.15 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $1.2420 per lb.
July robusta coffee fell $6, or 0.3 percent, to $1,825 a tonne.
Honduran April coffee exports fell 14.8 percent year on year, data showed on Thursday, amid falling demand for the country's beans.
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