ABIDJAN, May 16 (Reuters) - The International Finance Corporation will invest around $500 million over the next year in top cocoa grower Ivory Coast, the vice president of the World Bank's investment wing said on Thursday.

ABIDJAN, May 16 (Reuters) - The International Finance Corporation will invest around $500 million over the next year in top cocoa grower Ivory Coast, the vice president of the World Bank's investment wing said on Thursday.

ACCRA, May 15 (Reuters) - Ghana plans to issue a Eurobond worth up to $1 billion to refinance existing debt, the vice-president of the oil- and cocoa-producing West African nation told Reuters on Wednesday.

* Copper hit by weak factory data in China* Raw sugar nears 3-year low on signs on more Brazil output* Dollar strength to yen, euro further pressures commodities* Cocoa higher as stocks damaged, natgas up on cool weatherBy Barani KrishnanNEW YORK, Ma

* Copper hit by weak factory data in China * Raw sugar nears 3-year low on signs on more Brazil output * Dollar strength to yen, euro further pressures commodities * Cocoa higher as stocks damaged, natgas up on cool weather By Barani Krishnan NEW YOR

* Copper hit by weak factory data in China * Raw sugar nears 3-year low on signs on more Brazil output * Dollar strength to yen, euro further pressures commodities * Cocoa higher as stocks damaged, natgas up on cool weather By Barani Krishnan NEW YOR

May 10 (Reuters) - The net long money held by hedge fundsand other big speculators in commodities is back to a six-weekhigh, moving on from April's market tumble, as traders piledinto oil and oversold crops like coffee, cocoa and corn, tradedata show

May 10 (Reuters) - The net long money held by hedge funds and other big speculators in commodities is back to a six-week high, moving on from April's market tumble, as traders piled into oil and oversold crops like coffee, cocoa and corn, trade data

U.S.-based candy maker Hershey Co. has signed the Abidjan Cocoa Declaration, taking the total number of cocoa stakeholder signatories to 34, the International Cocoa Orgranization said in a statement Friday.

* Brent oil ends up, U.S. crude down; gold tumbles* Copper slips after hitting 3-week high on Wednesday* Soybeans and cocoa outperform, along with platinumBy Barani KrishnanNEW YORK, May 9 (Reuters) - Oil futures ended mixed for asecond straight day

* Brent oil ends up, U.S. crude down; gold tumbles * Copper slips after hitting 3-week high on Wednesday * Soybeans and cocoa outperform, along with platinum By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK, May 9 (Reuters) - Oil futures ended mixed for a second straight

In October 2012, when Hershey's announced it would "certify" all its cocoa by 2020, the corporate candy giant received lukewarm applause for finally publically acknowledging its sourcing of cocoa from plantations that exploit child labor.

* Speculators hold biggest net long cocoa position in nearly 5 years

* ECB rates at record low, boosting risk appetite across markets * Brent oil above $101; copper rises too but still below $7,000 * Gold futures makes up almost all of Wednesday's decline * Cocoa at 5-month high, corn prices firm By Barani Krishnan NE

* ECB rates at record low, boosting risk appetite acrossmarkets* Brent oil above $101; copper rises too but still below$7,000* Gold futures makes up almost all of Wednesday's decline* Cocoa at 5-month high, corn prices firmBy Barani KrishnanNEW YORK,

* ECB rates at record low, boosting risk appetite across markets * Brent oil above $101; copper rises too but still below $7,000 * Gold futures makes up almost all of Wednesday's decline * Cocoa at 5-month high, corn prices firm By Barani Krishnan NE

* Copper down 7 pct for April, sharpest drop since May 2012* Brent oil also off 7 pct on month, biggest drop since June* Gold loses 8 pct for April, sharpest slide since December (Adds monthly gains in wheat and cocoa that buck April trend,para 2; up

* Copper down 7 pct for April, sharpest drop since May 2012 * Brent oil also off 7 pct on month, biggest drop since June * Gold loses 8 pct for April, sharpest slide since December (Adds monthly gains in wheat and cocoa that buck April trend, para 2;

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - CME Group, the dominantexchange in global grains and oilseeds trading but not prominentin coffee, cocoa and sugar, said on Friday that it has hired twosoft commodity...

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - CME Group, the dominant exchange in global grains and oilseeds trading but not prominent in coffee, cocoa and sugar, said on Friday that it has hired two soft commodity specialists.

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - CME Group, the dominant exchange in global grains and oilseeds trading but not prominent in coffee, cocoa and sugar, said on Friday that it has hired two soft commodity...

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - CME Group, the dominant exchange in global grains and oilseeds trading but not prominent in coffee, cocoa and sugar, said on Friday that it has hired two soft commodity specialists.

* Economic uncertainty hangs over markets after weak US data * Copper stays below $7,000 level critical to market bulls * Grains down broadly; cocoa sugar also slide By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Brent crude oil returned to above

* Economic uncertainty hangs over markets after weak US data* Copper stays below $7,000 level critical to market bulls* Grains down broadly; cocoa sugar also slideBy Barani KrishnanNEW YORK, April 22 (Reuters) - Brent crude oil returned toabove $100

NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - ICE Futures U.S. will delay the start of electronic trading of arabica coffee, sugar and cocoa futures and options on May 6 because of a U.K. banking holiday, the exchange said in a notice on Friday.

NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - ICE Futures U.S. will delay the start of electronic trading of arabica coffee, sugar and cocoa futures and options on May 6 because of a U.K. banking holiday, the exchange said in a notice on Friday.

* Buyers return to hunt bargains in some battered markets* Brent crude closes below $100, first time since July* Gold ekes out gain after slide to 2-year low* Platinum, palladium join rebound in gold* Cocoa moves up along with soy, corn and wheatBy B

* Farmers will pay back future fertilizer deliveries with beans

* Farmers will pay back future fertilizer deliveries with beans

* Farmers need better prices to stop then switching crops-analyst

* Farmers need better prices to stop then switching crops -analyst

* Farmers need better prices to stop then switching crops -analyst

Grammy Award-winning R&B singer-songwriter India.Arie is fighting back against reports that she had her skin lightened on her new single’s cover art. The single is titled "Cocoa Butter" and one of Arie's most famous songs hap

See's Candies, Hershey and other firms take steps in the face of tighter cocoa supplies and higher sugar and manufacturing costs.In 92 years, See's Candies has never shied away from being old-fashioned.

* Farmers happy, exporters sceptical (Adds farmer and exporter comments, details)

* Farmers happy, exporters sceptical (Adds farmer and exporter comments, details)

ABIDJAN, March 27 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund sees economic growth in top cocoa grower Ivory Coast reaching 8 percent in 2013, up from a previous forecast of 7 percent, a senior Fund...

* Need to ramp up cocoa output to 4 mln T, from 3 mln T now -Petra exec

(Correcting sugar, cocoa trading hours in paragraphs 13, 14)

(Correcting sugar, cocoa trading hours in paragraphs 13, 14)

(Correcting sugar, cocoa trading hours in paragraphs 13, 14)

* Cocoa's upside potential seen limited by ample W. Africa mid crops

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A baseball-sized snail with an insatiable appetite for hundreds of plants including cocoa and papaya has been seized and destroyed by Australian officials, who said it posed a huge threat to local agriculture.

SYDNEY, March 12 (Reuters) - A baseball-sized snail with aninsatiable appetite for hundreds of plants including cocoa andpapaya has been seized and destroyed by Australian officials,who said it posed a huge threat to local agriculture.

* Gasoline up 2.6 pct, boosted by ethanol credits* Corn rises 2 pct as USDA forecasts tight supply* Cocoa jumps 2.8 pct on short covering* Orange juice up 7 pct after sharp cut in crop forecastBy Barani KrishnanNEW YORK, March 8 (Reuters) - Commoditi

Increased forward selling expected by West African producers to fix the prices of the season’s main crop and pod counts are favourable

Cocoa prices retreated last week as the amount and quality of the cocoa arriving at ports in West Africa has exceeded expectations, especially in No. 1 producer Ivory Coast.