SOFTS-Cocoa prices rise nearly 10% after better-than-expected grind data

NEW YORK, April 18 (Reuters) - London and New York cocoa futures hit all-time highs on Thursday on escalating worries over shrinking supplies, coupled with better-than-expected demand, while robusta coffee futures slid after marking a new record peak for a sixth straight session.

COCOA

* July London cocoa settled up 833 pounds, or 9.7%, at 9,418 pounds per metric ton, after touching a record high at 9,535 pounds.

* Dealers said data on Europe and Asia's cocoa grind, a measure of demand, was much stronger than expected, given cocoa's blistering price rally.

* Cocoa prices are up more than 150% this year alone and given the supply outlook is grim thanks to erratic weather and disease, demand needs to shrink to lessen the deficit.

* Europe's first-quarter cocoa grind fell 2.2% from a year earlier, while Asia's cocoa grind eased 0.2% year-on-year, industry data showed.

* But dealers had expected declines of 3-6% for Europe and 8% for Asia. They are now awaiting North America grind data due later on Thursday.

* July New York cocoa rose 9.6% to $11,035 a ton, having hit a record high at $11,126.

COFFEE

* July robusta coffee settled down $133, or 3.2%, at $4,062 a ton, after earlier setting a new record of $4,292.

* Farmers in top-producer Vietnam are holding onto stock despite the record highs, as they expect even higher prices, while the outlook for next season's crop continues to worsen, thanks to dry conditions.

* July arabica coffee fell 3.8% to $2.311 per lb, having hit its highest since February 2022 at $2.4540.

* Arabica and robusta are fungible to an extent, as coffee is traditionally a blend, so the deficit in robusta is boosting arabica prices.

* "Can we say the ride is over Nope. Profit taking Most likely," said a coffee trader.

SUGAR

* May raw sugar settled up 0.27 cent, or 1.4%, at 19.59 cents per lb, after touching a 16-month low on Wednesday.

* Sugar has been hit recently by ideas of better supplies from Asia and Brazil, but dealers said the fall attracted some bargain buying on Thursday.

* August white sugar rose 1.7% to $568.90 a ton. (Reporting by Maytaal Angel and Marcelo Teixeira; Editing by Pooja Desai, Kirsten Donovan and Shilpi Majumdar)