SOFTS-Robusta coffee extends decline, sugar edges higher

LONDON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Robusta coffee futures extended this week's decline on Tuesday as drier weather in Vietnam allowed harvesting to resume after recent delays caused by storms and flooding.

COFFEE

Robusta coffee LRCc1 was down 1.9%, at $4,388 a metric ton at 1050 GMT.

Dealers said Vietnam was still on track to harvest a large crop this year despite rain delays although there are concerns about the quality of the beans.

Arabica coffee KCc2 fell 0.7% to $3.7715 per lb.

SUGAR

Raw sugar SBc1 gained 0.4% to 14.82 cents per lb.

Dealers said the upside continued to be capped by signs that crops are progressing well but some viewed current prices as too cheap.

India's sugar production in the first two months of the 2025/26 season, which began on Oct. 1, rose 43% from a year earlier, driven by better recovery rates and faster crushing across major producing states, industry bodies said on Tuesday.

Sugar output in Brazil's key Center-South region grew 8.7% to 983,000 tons in the first half of November, said industry group UNICA.

White sugar LSUc1 rose 0.55% to $423.40 per ton.

COCOA

London cocoa LCCc2 rose 0.2% to 4,100 pounds per ton.

Dealers said the market would be keeping a close watch on whether grindings fall further in the 2025/26 season (October/September). The European cocoa grind fell by 5.3% in 2024/25.

They also noted rains were improving the outlook for the tail end of the 2025/26 main crop in top grower Ivory Coast.

New York cocoa CCc2 gained 0.3% to $5,572 a ton.