NO HEAVY COFFEE EXPORT IMPLIED-COLOMBIA OFFICIAL

  A decision by Colombia to open coffee
  export registrations for an unlimited amount does not imply the
  country will heavily sell coffee until recently withheld,
  Gilberto Arango, president of the private exporters'
  association, told Reuters.
      Colombia today opened export registrations for april and
  may, with the National Coffee Growers' Federation setting no
  limit.
      Since the start of the coffee year last october, private
  exporters were on average allowed 350,000 bags of 60 kilos per
  month.
      "Traders will initially interpret this measure as announcing
  heavy sales. Even today it pressured the market. But it will
  quickly become apparent that Colombia does not intend to go
  over the top," Arango said in an interview.
      "Colombia's marketing policy is to sell without haste but
  consistently. No targets for volume will be set. We will react
  to market factors adequately. Colombia has no intention to give
  its coffee away," he added.
      Arango described measures adopted here yesterday, including
  a lower export registration price, as a major change in
  Colombia's coffee marketing policy.
      The export registration price, or reintegro, was lowered to
  1.10 dlr per lb ex-dock new york, or 155.83 dlrs per bag of 70
  kilos, from 1.35 dlrs (194.33 dlrs).
      The government announced a more flexible policy of
  reintegro, in order to closely reflect market trends, which
  arango warmly welcomed saying private exporters will
  undoubtedly be more actively present in the market.
      A frequent gap between international market prices and the
  reintegro was unlikely to recur, he said.
  

