Jorge Cardenas, manager of Colombia'scoffee growers' federation, said he did not believe any
important decisions would emerge from an upcoming meeting of
the International Coffee Organization (ICO).
    The ICO executive board is set to meet in London from March
31 and could decide to call a special council session by the
end of April to discuss export quotas.
    "It's going to be a routine meeting, an update of what has
been happening in the market, but it's unlikely any major
decisions are taken," Cardenas told journalists.
    Earlier this month, talks in London to re-introduce export
quotas, suspended in February 1986, ended in failure.
    Colombian finance minister Cesar Gaviria, also talking to
reporters at the end of the weekly National Coffee Committee
meeting, said the positions of Brazil and of the United States
were too far apart to allow a prompt agreement on quotas.
    Brazil's coffee chief Jorio Dauster said yesterday Brazil
would not change its coffee policies.
    Cardenas said the market situation was getting clearer
because the trade knew the projected output and stockpile
levels of producers.
    He said according to ICO statistics there was a shortfall
of nine mln (60-kg) bags on the world market between October,
the start of the coffee year, and February.
 Reuter
