MUMBAI, April 17 (Reuters) - Prices at the Indian Coffee Association's Thursday auctions remained mixed on selective enquiry from buyers, traders said.
"Arabica coffee prices sold at last week's level whereas robusta parchment prices climbed higher this week," said a trader from Bangalore.
Arabica plantation and cherry grades sold at last week's auction rates and found buying interest from domestic traders.
Robusta parchment coffees, however, witnessed both internal and export buying and prices went up by 50 rupees per 50 kgs.
Special grade robusta parchment PB grade on offer sold at a premium price, the Bangalore trader added.
Arabica coffee arrivals start in November in India and continue till February, while robusta arrivals begin from mid-January and continue through April.
The International Coffee Organization cut its estimate for world output in 2008/09 to 127.8 million 60-kg bags from a previous forecast of 133.4 million, mainly reflecting reduced estimates from Colombia, Vietnam and India. [nLA344493]. World production in 2007/08 was 116.5 million bags.
The total quantity on offer at the auction was 324.95 tonnes of which 69 tonnes were sold, an auctioneer said.
Source : REUTERS INDIA