SOFTS HIGHLIGHTS: Top Stories Of The Day

Brazil probably exported slightly more than 2 million 60-kilogram sacks of coffee in February, a relatively low level that will probably cause stocks in importing countries to fall, the National Coffee Council said Friday.

 
China 2012 Cotton Imports Likely To Fall Sharply On Bumper 2011 Harvest -Cotton Institute 

BEIJING (Dow Jones)--China's cotton imports in 2012 are likely to fall sharply from last year as a bumper domestic harvest will curb demand for imported cotton, the Cotton Research Institute, which operates under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said Friday.

 
   SUGAR 
 
Thailand Sugar Cane Crush 68.9 Mln Tons As Of Feb. 29 - Official 

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Thailand crushed 68.9 million metric tons of sugar cane as of Feb. 29 this year compared with about 58 million tons a year earlier, an official at the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board said Friday.

 
Russia 2011-2012 Beet Sugar Exports Seen 250,000 Tons 

MOSCOW (Dow Jones)--Russia is likely to export 250,000 metric tons of sugar produced from domestically harvested beet in the current marketing year, August 2011-July 2012, the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies, known as IKAR, said Friday.

 
   COFFEE 
 
Costa Rican 2011-12 Coffee Exports To Feb 27 Fall 8% On Year 

Costa Rica's 2011-12 coffee exports through Feb. 27 were down 8% on year to 389,986 bags of 60 kilograms each, the Costa Rican Coffee Institute said Friday.

 
Guatemala February Coffee Exports -1.3% On Year To 368,910 Bags 

Guatemala's coffee exports in February were down 1.3% from the year-ago month to 368,910 bags of 60 kilograms, the Guatemalan Coffee Association, or Anacafe, said Friday.

 
Starbucks To Expand In Germany, Offer Capsules In Europe - Report 

FRANKFURT (Dow Jones)--Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) Chief Executive Howard Schultz said he wants to increase the number of Starbucks cafes in Germany to more than 1,000 from 150, Financial Times Deutschland reports Friday.

 
Sara Lee To List Coffee & Tea Business In Amsterdam 

AMSTERDAM -- Sara Lee Corp. (SLE) Friday said it will seek a listing for its coffee and tea business on the Amsterdam stock exchange, as part of its plan to split the company into two.

 
Technical Special: ICE May Coffee Forming Potential Bear Pennant 

ICE May coffee futures have been consolidating in a sideways fashion for nearly two weeks, forming a potential "bear pennant" formation on the daily chart. That pattern hasn't yet been confirmed, but it is a traditional continuation pattern, which would suggest downside losses on a confirmed breakout.

-By Alexandra Wexler, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-4883; [e-mail]