SOFTS-Dollar depresses coffee and cocoa; sugar mixed

(Recasts with markets closing levels, adds U.S. comment, and NEW YORK dateline/byline)

* Steadier dollar, position squaring pressures complex

* Sugar flat to firmer; coffee and cocoa stumble

NEW YORK/LONDON, Oct 30 - Cocoa and coffee futures sagged on Friday on investor pressure sparked in part by a strengthening dollar as players also squared positions at the end of the month.

Analysts said some profit-taking set in after the boost from better-than-expected U.S. third-quarter GDP on Thursday, and most players will be looking at outside markets and gyrations of the dollar next week for direction.

"Everyone's coming back to the dollar for safety and that's putting pressure across the softs complex," said James Cordier, an analyst for Liberty Trading Group.

"Technically, both charts (New York and London) suggest that profit-taking is taking place at the end of the month," said Ricardo Santos, head of the agri-commodities brokerage at BNP Paribas Fortis.

London's March cocoa contract fell 14 pounds to end at 2,168 pounds per tonne. New York's December cocoa contract lost $58 to finish at $3,297 per tonne.

Cocoa arrivals at ports in Ivory Coast hit 121,155 tonnes between October 1, the start of the season, and October 25, reflecting new shipments and a revision of the previous tally, according to official figures.

Coffee futures also retreated due to the dollar while the trade awaited arrival of the new crop in top robusta producer Vietnam in November.

London's November robusta coffee contract lost $20 to close at $1,386 per tonne. New York's December arabica coffee contract retreated 1.25 cents to end at $1.355 per lb.

SUGAR MIXED

Sugar futures were mixed in light business as the trade mulled the next move for the market. Raw sugar futures have doubled in 2009 after India became a heavy importer and excessive rains bedeviled top grower Brazil.

New York's March raw sugar contract closed flat at 22.81 cents per lb. London's December white sugar contract went up $3.90 to end at $580.50 per tonne.

"My feeling is that the (sugar) market needs to consolidate. We may see a bit of sideways or downward action today, with New York moving between 22 and 23 cents a pound," said London-based sugar dealer David Sadler.

Rains in Brazil are still a source of worry for many in the trade, mainly because of impact on yields.

Demand is also seen staying robust, with India said close to finalizing deals to buy 2.0 million tonnes of sugar. Other countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan are said to be booking orders in the months ahead.