SOFTS-Cocoa prices hit 1-1/2 month lows on worries over demand

NEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Cocoa futures on the ICE exchange hit their lowest in more than a month on Monday, amid concerns over flailing demand for the chocolate ingredient. Sugar and coffee also slipped, meanwhile.

COCOA

New York cocoa CCc1 fell 1.3% to $5,277 a metric ton, having earlier hit a 1-1/2 month low of $5,215 a ton. The contract settled down 12% on Friday.

Dealers said the market is concerned that the European, North American and Asian fourth-quarter grind data, scheduled for release on Thursday, will show demand continues to weaken.

They added that it appears New York cocoa's addition to the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) has been largely priced in, with index funds securing their purchases via increased trade as settlement (TAS) activity.

Elsewhere, dry weather in Ivory Coast and Ghana is expected to improve harvesting conditions this week.

London cocoa LCCc1 fell 1.8% to 3,850 pounds a ton, having hit a 1-1/2 month low of ​​3,779 a ton. The contract settled down 10.3% on Friday.

COFFEE

Arabica coffee KCc1 slipped 0.1% to $3.5735 per lb, having settled down 3.9% on Friday.

Broker ADM ISI cited reduced fears over supplies from Colombia, the world third largest bean grower.

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with his Colombian counterpart at the White House early next month. The two leaders spoke by phone following Trump's threats of military action against the Latin American nation.

Elsewhere, coffee exports from Uganda, the world's 10th largest producer, jumped 60.3% year-on-year in November, helped by a bountiful harvest in some parts of the country.

Robusta coffee LRCc2 slipped 0.2% to $3,896 a ton, having closed down 0.6% on Friday.

SUGAR

Raw sugar SBc1 fell 0.6% to 14.80 cents per lb, having settled down 0.5% on Friday.

Broker and consultant Michael McDougall said sugar has a positive bias near term as speculators might have to sharply reverse their large short positions - or bets on price falls - if geopolitical tensions in key oil producers Venezuela, Iran or Russia escalate.

Rising energy prices tend to prompt cane mills in top grower Brazil to produce less sugar and more ethanol, a cane-based biofuel.

White sugar LSUc1 fell 0.7% to $422.80 a ton.