Coffee Rust Effects on Latin America Ease -- Market Talk

  12:51 EDT - Coffee rust, a fungal disease known locally as roya, drove down production in Central

America, the Dominican Republic and Peru by 18% in the 2012-13 season, the International Coffee

Organization says, but by only 2% in the season which ended last month. "The damage from coffee leaf

rust is starting to plateau," says the ICO. But even if these growers recover this year, lower

Brazilian production due to a drought could spell trouble down the road. While supply-demand was

relatively balanced in 2013-14, lower production "will likely result in a global deficit next year."

ICE Dec arabica-coffee futures up 0.9% at $2.1990/lb.