ASIA COFFEE-Domestic prices fall in Vietnam, premiums rise in Indonesia

By Phuong Nguyen and Mas Alina Arifin

HANOI, June 12 (Reuters) - Vietnam's domestic coffee prices fell further from a week earlier on Thursday amid sluggish trading, while rising beans stockpiles in Indonesia pushed premiums higher against last week, traders said.

Farmers in the Central Highlands, Vietnam's largest coffee-growing region, sold beans COFVN-DAK at 111,500-112,000 dong ($4.29-$4.30) per kg, down from last week's 113,500-114,000 dong range.

Vietnam is bracing for a tropical storm that may cause heavy rains in the coffee-growing area from Thursday.

"Rain at this point is not so worrisome, but we still have to keep an eye out," said a trader based in the coffee-growing area, adding activities were tepid.

Some farmers still held beans, but with the current prices, "it is very unlikely that they would release beans at the moment", another trader said.

Vietnam exported 813,000 metric tons of coffee in the January-May period, down 1.8% year-on-year, government data showed. Export revenues for the same period rose 62.3% to $4.7 billion, with May exports at 148,000 tons, a 59% annual rise.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's Sumatra robusta coffee bean exports were at 14,384.3 tons in April, significantly larger than a year ago, but down 37% month-on-month, data from the local trade office showed.

LIFFE robusta coffee LRCc2 lost $26, or 1%, to $4,291 a ton on Wednesday, LSEG-compiled data showed.

"Supportive trade data from both Vietnam and Indonesia is also a factor to drag price," the second trader said.

Sumatra coffee beans were offered at a $145 premium this week to the July-August contract, up from a $80 premium a week ago, one trader said.

"Beans volume is better, although not yet in full swing."

Beans were offered at a $100 premium to the September contract versus the $80 premium last week, another trader said.

($1 = 26,020.0000 dong)