Dear Readers and Customers,

Please find here above the coffee closing data of Monday 6^th of February 2012 of the Arabica coffee market in New-York (ICE) and of the Robusta coffee market LIFFE in London.

Cocoa closed $33 lower at $2267. Sugar closed 65 higher at 2459. Crude oil is trading $0.77 lower at $0.9707. Gold is trading $4.84 lower at $1720.56.

Indonesia's plantation commodity exports are predicted to increase by up to US$8.4 billion to US$35.72 billion last year from US$27.35 billion the year before, Antara news agency reported. The increase was fuelled by higher commodity prices in the international market, the Director General of Plantation at the Agriculture Ministry Gamal Nasir was quoted as saying. At least five commodities were listed as the biggest foreign exchange earners. They were palm oil, cocoa, rubber, coconut and copra, and coffee.

Iconic Colombian coffee brand Juan Valdez Cafe opens shop in Miami airport where more than 35 million passengers pass through every year, the company announced Thursday.

Autogrill Group and Starbucks Coffee Company, which started their co-operation in the United States in 1991, have extended their global partnership to develop new business in Europe. Autogrill will start operating Starbucks stores at its select points of sale in France this year. The first stores will be located in Paris, in high-speed railway stations, a channel of strategic importance. Later this year, two stores will open in Marseille Airport in Halls 1 and 4.

El Salvador's coffee exports fell 25% in volume during the first three months of the 2011/12 coffee year totalling 134’762 60-kg bags. On the other hand, earnings were up 5.5% to $42 million from $39.8 million during the same period in 2010. In December, shipments were down 46% to 81,698 bags of coffee. The U.S. was the principal destination of the exports, receiving 40%, followed by Germany and Japan, which received 21% and 15%, respectively. Output is expected to fall this year due to cyclical reasons.

US-based coffee giant Starbucks today said it is moving forward with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Tata Coffee. The American coffee chain hopes to make an announcement soon even as the government has notified 100 % FDI in single brand retail, local media report. "We are moving forward with MoU discussions and planning, and hope to make an announcement soon" John Culver, President, Starbucks (China and Asia Pacific) said in an e-mailed response to The Economics Times.

Have a good reading,

Best regards,

VYCO SA