NY sugar and coffee end down after slipping off peaks

July 5 (Reuters) - ICE raw sugar futures and arabica coffee
future closed down a shade on Thursday, falling from 2-1/2-month
highs as the U.S. dollar rallied and selling hit the commodity
complex.
U.S. cocoa futures likewise closed lower after tapping a
3-1/2-month high. Arabica coffee futures ended easier.
The markets were closed Wednesday for the U.S. Independence
Day holiday.

1:59 PM SETTLE NET PCT LOW HIGH CURRENT
CHNG CHNG VOL
Sugar OCT 21.92 -0.06 -0.3% 21.80 22.69 75,368
Sugar MAR 22.33 0.11 0.5% 22.21 22.88 37,346
Cocoa JUL 2318 -26 -1.1% 2,327 2,344 32
Cocoa SEP 2328 -22 -0.9% 2,304 2,375 13,611
Coffee JUL 179.25 -0.85 -0.5% 178.25 184.80 30
Coffee SEP 180.35 -0.1 -0.1% 175.85 187.10 21,726

TOTAL MARKET VOLUME
CURRENT 30D AVG 250D AVG
ICE SUGAR 145,440 140,242 94,723
ICE COCOA 24,633 27,704 21,373
ICE COFFEE 34,646 29,293 21,723

RAW SUGAR
* Benchmark October raw sugar futures inched down
0.06 cent to close at 21.92 cents a lb.
* Market surged on chart-based speculative and trade buying,
but failed on a lack of follow-through buying and turned
negative - brokers.
* The key spot October raw sugar contract traded
above the 100-day moving average at 22.48 cents, inspiring chart
players to buy the market.
* October was taking aim at the 200-day moving average at
23.58 cents.
* Consumer and trade buying tied to the delivery of 1.1
million tonnes of sugar at expiration of the July contract last
week.

ARABICA COFFEE
* September arabica futures inched down 0.10 cent to
finish at $1.8035 per lb after trading from $1.7585 to $1.8710.
* September peaked at $1.8710 to form a double top with the
session high of April 13 on a continuation chart for the
second-position contract.
* The benchmark contract climbed temporarily above the
100-day moving average at $1.8147 for the first time since
mid-January.
* The market got support early from delayed supplies from
top grower Brazil - traders.
* Profit-taking by market participants holding short
positions lifted the market, but prices turned lower as the U.S.
dollar rallied and the Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB index
dropped - traders.
* The feared El Nino weather anomaly could strike as early
as the third quarter, wreaking weather havoc from North and
South America to Asia - U.S. Climate Prediction Center

COCOA
* September cocoa futures closed down $22, or 0.9
percent, at $2,328 per tonne after hitting the highest since
March 28 at $2,375.
* September turned lower after inching above the 200-day
moving average at $2,372 but failing to rise any further.
* Pressure stemmed from the weaker sterling against
the U.S. dollar - traders.
* Barry Callebaut, the world's largest chocolate
products maker, said it was confident it would meet its
financial targets despite a slowdown in third-quarter volume
growth.

For related news and prices, click on the codes in brackets:
Sugar futures/spreads Sugar cash prices
Coffee futures/spreads Coffee cash prices
Cocoa futures/spreads Cocoa cash prices

RELATED NEWS AND OTHER TOPICS
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(Reporting by Marcy Nicholson and Rene Pastor)