India coffee prices mixed; all eyes on Brazil crop

MUMBAI, Sept 17 (Reuters) – Prices at the Indian Coffee Association\’s Thursday auction were mixed as domestic consumers bought robustly but exporters were selective, auctioneers said on Friday.

\”Prices of some grades rose as people were speculating a lower crop in Brazil will help Indian exporters,\” said Divakaran of UTC Traders, a Karnataka-based dealer.

With drought causing plants to shed leaves, coffee trees in world top grower Brazil will fail to reach their full productive potential in the 2011 harvest, agronomists told Reuters on Tuesday. See [ID:nN14261757]

* Arabica Plantation PB grade price were lower by 50 rupees per 50 kg, while A, B & C grade prices were steady.

* There was no Arabica Cherry PB grade on offer, AB grade remained unsold, C grade price rose by 50 rupees per 50 kg.

* Robusta parchment PB & AB grade prices were steady. PB grade was bought by the domestic trade, while AB grade received enquiry from one exporter. C grade remained unsold.

* Robusta Cherry PB & C grade remained unsold. AB grade prices were steady.

Following were the prices quoted for 50 kg bags in rupees.

Grade Price range

NEW SEASON (2009/10) CROP

ARABICA PLANTATION

PB 9,350

A 9,600-9,950

B 9,000-9,025

C 7,300

BBB 4,150

ARABICA CHERRY

C 5,300

ROBUSTA PARCHMENT

PB 4,150

AB 4,250

AA 4,250

BBB 3,550-3,650

ROBUSTA CHERRY

AB 3,950-4,150

BBB 3,550

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav & Kishore S.U in BANGALORE;; Editing by Harish Nambiar)