Sugar rose the most in four weeks while Sugar production in south-central Brazil falling 18%

Sugar rose the most in four weeks, including reduced production in Brazil, the world's largest producer, may be a sign of a record harvest is coming to an end. Cotton rose the most allowed by U.S. ICE

Sugar production in south-central Brazil fell 18 percent in the second half of November last year, Unica, an industry group said on 14 December. The harvest is usually completed in December, the U.S. agricultural attaché in Sao Paulo.

"Unica's figures show that we are near the end of the harvest, which can be a very good support for London and New York futures," said Fabienne Pointier, an analyst at Lausanne, Switzerland-based research firm Kingsman SA.

Raw sugar for March delivery rose 1.5 cents, or 4.8 percent, to close at 32.5 cents per pound at 2 pm in the U.S. ICE New York, the biggest gain since Nov. 18. This week, the price rose 12 percent, the most since early October.

Earlier, the product reached 32.97 cents, the highest since Nov. 11. The price has gained 21 percent this year.

In London, refined sugar futures for March delivery rose $ 23.40, or 3 percent, to $ 790.70 a ton on the New York Stock Exchange LIFFE.

Cotton futures for March delivery rose the exchange limit of 4 cents, or 2.7 percent, to $ 1.5012 in New York, the highest since Nov. 10 when the fiber reached a record 1 $ 5195. The price, by 9.6 percent this week, has almost doubled this year amid an overall deficit.

Cotton tides

Production in Shandong Province of China, the second largest producer, plunged 22 percent this year from 2009, after natural disasters hurt crops in the central region of Agriculture Information, said today.

"The market is still to ration supplies," said Mike Stevens, an independent operator in Mandeville, Louisiana.

China is the largest producer. U.S. is the leading exporter.

Cocoa futures for March delivery fell $ 52, or 1.7 percent, to $ 2.951 per ton in New York. The price has fallen 10 percent this year.

London cocoa futures for March delivery dropped 23 pounds, or 1.1 percent, to 1.983 pounds ($ 3.077) per tonne.

Inventories with a valid class certificate in European warehouses controlled by NYSE Liffe increased 21 percent over the past two weeks.

The orange juice futures for March delivery rose 0.4 percent, or 0.3 to 1.574 dollars per pound. The price has advanced 22 percent this year.