SOFTS-Arabica coffee hits multi-month high; cocoa also gains

LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Arabica coffee futures on ICE surged to a 4-1/2 month high on Monday, boosted by tight supply in the U.S., while cocoa prices also climbed.

COFFEE

* Arabica coffee KCc2 was up 5.1% at $4.1715 per lb by 1408 GMT after setting a 4-1/2 month high of $4.1880.

* Dealers said the market was supported by fund buying against the backdrop of tight supplies in the U.S. after the imposition of a 50% tariff on shipments from Brazil.

* They noted that exchange stocks stood at 669,225 bags as of September 12, down 766 bags from a day earlier, continuing a steady decline. A month earlier they stood at 737,526 bags.

* Arabica coffee speculators raised their net long position by 3,092 contracts to 22,539 in the week to September 9, data showed.

* Robusta coffee LRCc2 rose 3.9% to $4,782 a metric ton.

COCOA

* London cocoa LCCc2 gained 1.1% to 5,160 pounds a ton.

* Dealers said the market continued to derive support from worries over crops in West Africa, where diseases such as black pod remain a significant concern.

* New York cocoa CCc2 rose 1.9% to $7,558 a ton.

* Cocoa arrivals at ports in top grower Ivory Coast since the start of the season on October 1 had reached 1.686 million tons by September 14, down from 1.733 million tons for the same period last season, exporters estimated on Monday.

SUGAR

* Raw sugar SBc1 gained 0.95% to 15.94 cents per lb.

* Dealers said the market looked set to trade in a range of about 15.50 to 16.00 cents per lb in the near future, with the scope for any major advance in prices limited by favourable crop prospects in India and Thailand.

* White sugar LSUc1 was down 0.1% at $484.70 a ton, with the focus on expiry of the October contract on Monday.

* Pakistan has issued an international tender to purchase 100,000 tons of white refined sugar and is believed to have bought 100,000 tons in a tender last week, European traders said.