SOFTS-London cocoa hits 2-1/2 month low, while sugar slides​

LONDON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - London cocoa futures fell to a 2-1/2 month low on Wednesday as the 2025/26 main crop season got underway in top grower Ivory Coast, while raw sugar prices were down sharply following a large delivery against the October contract that expired this week.

COCOA

London cocoa LCCc2 fell 0.4% to 4,725 pounds a metric ton by 1419 GMT, after setting a 2-1/2 month low of 4,707 pounds.

Ivory Coast's Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) is expected to announce the new farmgate price for cocoa at the opening ceremony of the 2025/26 marketing campaign on Wednesday.

The main crop harvest in Ivory Coast is likely to see strong early arrivals, partly due to cocoa being held back to benefit from an expected higher farmgate price.

Dealers said the combination of a strong early flow of cocoa out of Ivory Coast and Ghana and weak demand could put further downward pressure on prices.

New York cocoa CCc2 was down a marginal 0.1% at $6,790 a ton, underpinned by the weakness of the dollar.

SUGAR

Raw sugar SBc1 fell 2.9% to 16.12 cents per lb.

Deliveries of raw sugar on the expiry of the October contract on ICE Exchange totalled 30,032 lots, or around 1.52 million metric tons, said the exchange in a notice on Wednesday, confirming preliminary information from traders.

Most of the sugar will be loaded at the Brazilian ports of Santos and Paranagua.

White sugar LSUc1 lost 2.9% to $454.80 a ton.

COFFEE

Arabica coffee KCc2 rose 1.9% to $3.6590 per lb as the market extended its recent rebound.

The market was awaiting a planned meeting this week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, though no date has been announced.

The meeting is expected to discuss the 50% U.S. tariff on Brazilian coffee, which has curtailed trade between the two countries.

Robusta coffee LRCc2 was up 3.5% at $4,334 a ton. ​