The New York Board of Trade's benchmark March arabica contract climbed 0.05 cent to finish at 105.35 cents a lb, after roaming a range of 104.60 cents to 106.00 cents. May coffee also rose 0.05 cent to end at 107.70 cents, while, except for one contract, other months settled 0.05-0.10 cent firmer.
The market's focus remains on the large fund-type accounts that were looking to roll their long positions from March delivery coffee into the next active May contract, traders said.
Market players last week started rolling into May and this switching was seen lasting a few more weeks, potentially pressuring the nearby March contract where funds remain long.
Fundamentally, analysts and traders are more bullish on coffee this year after recent years with depressed bean prices, due to expectations of tightening supplies in 2005.
Arabicas have risen around 50 percent since August on expectations of an impending supply deficit. Still, sources are uncertain if reduced supply will be a sustained trend after years of overproduction.
But traders have said the market has gotten support recently from roasters who were steadily fixing (buying) before the nearby March contract's first notice day for delivery on February 17.
In top coffee grower Brazil, rain soaked the forested coffee zones of Minas Grease and Esparto Santo on Monday but temporarily eased in other areas, private forecaster Somar said.
Estimated NYBOT futures volume slipped to 11,720 contracts from the previous official 18,885 lots. Open interest rose 217 lots to 104,070 contracts as of January 28. Chartists put support in March coffee at 104.00 cents, and then at 102.00 and 101.50, with resistance at 106.00-106.25 cents, 108.00 and 108.70, the high from December 2004.