SOFTS-Cocoa hits fresh one-month high ahead of index entry

LONDON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Cocoa futures on the ICE exchange hit fresh one-month highs on Wednesday amid market chatter that the contracts' inclusion in a major commodities index next year will boost prices.

COCOA

New York cocoa CCc2 rose 5.6% to $6,211 a metric ton at 1345 GMT, having hit a one-month high of $6,250.

Dealers cited talk that New York cocoa's inclusion in the Bloomberg Commodity Index (BCOM) next year will initially result in about 30,000-35,000 lots of buying.

They explained that the funds who will trade cocoa within the BCOM are believed to be largely long only funds. A long position is essentially a bet on price gains.

London cocoa LCCc2 ​rose 4.9% to 4,459 pounds per metric ton, having hit a one-month high of 4,477.

COFFEE

Robusta coffee LRCc2 edged up 0.4% at $4,124 a ton, after setting a 2-1/2-month low of $4,046.

"Vietnam's coffee harvest is showing remarkable resilience. Amidst rain-driven delays and labour tightness, the crop outlook remains positive, with production increases expected and quality indicators trending upward," said a dealer.

Arabica coffee KCc2 rose 1.5% to $3.7400 per lb, after hitting a two-week low on Monday.

Brazil's green coffee exports fell 27% in November from a year ago, said industry group Cecafe, blaming a limited crop, port congestion and the lagging impact from U.S. tariffs.

Dealers however noted that rains have been good so far this season in Brazil and that soil moisture levels bode well for the upcoming 2026/27 crop.

SUGAR

Raw sugar SBc1 rose 1.7% to 14.93 cents per lb, having hit a nearly four-week low on Tuesday.

Cane farmers in Thailand, the world's second-largest sugar exporter after Brazil, are switching to cassava as prices plunge and fields in some parts of the country face a disease outbreak, analyst Green Pool said.

White sugar LSUc1 rose 1.9% to $426.70 a ton.