The New York Board of Trade's active December arabica contract eased 0.95 cent to settle at $1.0295 a lb., after trading from $1.0180 to $1.04. March lost 0.75 cent to $1.0675 a lb. and more distant months fell 0.75 to 1.70 cent.
"It was more or less a consolidation day," one trader said, pointing to the December contract's 9.3 percent climb last week from a low of 96 cents to a high of $1.05.
The recent rally in arabica futures was largely driven by reports of crop losses and delays in new coffee harvests in Central America, southern Mexico and Vietnam due to severe storms and heavy rains.
Traders and analysts peg crop damage in the Americas between 1 percent and 2 percent of an estimated 108 million 60-kg bags of 2005/06 world coffee output.
"There are some losses out there, and that is making the farmer a reluctant seller," said Jack Scoville, a vice president at the Price Group. "I know there has been some selling, but the offers are not huge," he said.
"As we are getting into the high-demand season, it's easier for me to imagine that the market can still go up a little bit more than go down a little bit more," he added.
Despite market expectations of rising output from top coffee producer Brazil next year, the country's exports in October were down 20 percent from the same period last year.
Brazil exported 1.87 million 60-kg bags of green coffee in October, compared with 2.34 million bags a year ago, the Council of Green Coffee Exporters of Brazil said.
Still, traders expect Brazil to produce between 45 million and 52 million 60-kg bags next year, reflecting an upturn in arabica's biennial production cycle, favourable rains and increased crop care.
NYBOT estimated futures trading volume reached 19,955 contracts, well above Friday's official tally of 16,699 lots.
Traders attributed the strong turnover to non-commercial participants rolling their positions into longer-dated arabicas ahead of the December contract's first notice day for delivery on November 18.