LONDON Raw sugar and arabica coffee futures on ICE were lower on Monday, with some showers forecast in drought-hit Brazil over the next few days, while cocoa prices also fell.

July raw sugar fell by 0.26 cent, or 1.5%, to 17.45 cents per lb by 1412 GMT.

Dealers said the weather in the Centre-South region of Brazil remained a key focus with some showers forecast this week although overall conditions remain very dry.

The market was also weighed by a modest setback in energy prices on Monday following the recent strong advance.

Higher energy prices can lead to more use of cane to make biofuel ethanol rather than sugar, particularly in Brazil.

August white sugar fell by $5.60, or 1.2%, to $460.90 a tonne.

July arabica coffee fell by 1.9 cents, or 1.2%, to $1.5975 per lb, extending its retreat from a 4-1/2 year high of $1.6675 set last week.

Dealers noted dry conditions in top producer Brazil could curb production next year so the market would keep a close watch on how much rain is received in key growing areas over the next few days.

Speculators raised their net long position in arabica coffee futures on ICE in the week to June 1, data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed on Friday.

July robusta coffee fell by $2, or 0.1%, to $1,610 a tonne.

September New York cocoa fell by $38, or 1.55%, to $2,414 a tonne.

Dealers noted supplies remain ample with top grower Ivory Coast expected to harvest a record crop this year.

Cocoa arrivals at ports in Ivory Coast reached 1.997 million tonnes between Oct. 1 and June 6, exporters estimated on Monday, up 7.5% from 1.881 million tonnes over the same period last season.

September London cocoa fell by 14 pounds, or 0.9%, to 1,613 pounds a tonne.

An unusual dry spell persisted across most of Ivory Coast’s cocoa-growing regions last week, fuelling farmers’ fears that the April-to-September mid-crop could be depleted.