ASIA COFFEE-Tight supplies in Asian major robusta producers amid thin trade

By Phuong Nguyen and Mas Alini Arifin

HANOI, May 8 (Reuters) - Supplies in major Asian robusta producers remained thin this week as farmers in Vietnam have sold most of their stocks while harvest in Indonesia has not started yet, traders said on Thursday.

Farmers in the Central Highlands, Vietnam's largest coffee-growing region, sold beans COFVN-DAK at 128,000-129,000 dong ($4.93-$4.97) per kg, compared with 130,000-130,500 dong two weeks ago.

"The prices will likely remain at this level in the upcoming time," said a trader based in the coffee belt.

"At this point, trade is pretty tepid with both supplies and demands meaning thin."

Vietnam exported 663,000 metric tons of coffee in the January-April period, down 9.8% from the same period a year earlier, government data showed. Coffee export revenue in the period rose by 52% to $3.8 billion, it added.

"The annual fall in exports from Vietnam over the past four months partly supported the prices," another trader based in the same region said. "Vietnam remains the key source for robusta at the month."

LIFFE Robusta coffee LRCc2 rose 3% to $5,291 a ton as of Wednesday's close.

Traders also offered 5% black and broken-grade 2 robusta COFVN-G25-SAI at a discount of $200-$300 to the July LIFFE contract.

Sumatra robusta coffee beans were offered at $140 discount to the May contract, compared with a $120 discount two weeks ago, "to adjust with the rise in London terminal and scarcity of beans", one trader said.

Another trader offered a $50 premium to the June contract while a third one quoted $150 discount to the July contract.

($1 = 25,973.0000 dong)