Coffee futures fall on weaker Brazil currency

Arabica coffee futures on ICE slid , with both the March and May monthly contracts setting new contract lows as a weaker currency in top grower Brazil weighed on the market.

* March arabica coffee settled down 1.05 cents, or 1.1 percent to 97.85 cents per pound, after dipping to 97.05, the lowest for the March monthly contract.

* March's discount to May KCH9-K9 widened to as much as 3.70 cents.

* May arabica coffee settled down 0.9 cent, or 0.8 percent, at $1.0145 per lb, after falling to 100.60 cents, a low for the May monthly contract.

* Dealers said prices were dragged down as the Brazilian real hit a three-week low against the dollar, which encourages producer selling of dollar-denominated commodities. The real recovered but not until after the arabica market settled.

* Ample supplies and a positive weather outlook for growing regions continued to weigh on prices, dealers said.

* Family owned JAB Holding Co, which has several coffee and restaurant brands including Douwe Egberts and Panera Bread, is planning for two initial public offerings, Germany's Lebensmittel Zeitung reported.

* May robusta coffee settled up $3, or 0.2 percent, at $1,537 per tonne after touching a three-week low of 1,519.

* Traders in Vietnam are struggling to buy coffee beans from local farmers who are reluctant to sell at low prices, meaning exports could decline as early as March or April.