ASIA COFFEE-Prices rise in Vietnam on limited supplies

By Phuong Nguyen and Mas Alina Arifin

HANOI, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Domestic coffee prices in Vietnam rose this week on limited supplies from new harvest even as worries regarding the impact of storm Fengshen ebbed, traders said on Thursday.

In the Central Highlands, Vietnam's largest coffee-growing region, farmers sold beans COFVN-DAK at 117,000 dong to 118,500 dong ($4.44 to $4.50) per kg, up from last week's 113,700 dong to 114,500 dong.

The Fengshen storm that made landfall on Wednesday, did not directly hit the coffee-growing area, and has now weakened to a depression, which did little harm to the trees.

"It is not the peak of the harvest yet, so rains at this point would not do much harm," said a trader based in the coffee belt.

Traders said business was otherwise quiet as both buyers and sellers were cautious, learning from experience of past crop seasons.

Robusta coffee LRCc2 for January delivery settled up $120, or 3%, at $4,694 a metric ton on Wednesday.

Traders offered 5% black and broken-grade 2 robusta COFVN-G25-SAI at a discount range of $120-$150 per ton to the January LIFFE contract.

In Indonesia, Sumatra robusta coffee beans were offered at a $120 discount to the November and December contracts, down from a $40 discount rate last week as an adjustment to the London terminal, a trader said.

Another trader quoted a $100 discount to the January contract, compared with a $30 discount last week.

Farmers in West Lampung said the weather was still rainy but cherries were growing well.

($1 = 26,344.0000 dong)