Coffee futures slipped Tuesday on speculation that some growers may sell stockpiles soon, which could ease tight global supplies.
Coffee for May delivery fell 3.55 cents to settle at $2.7345 a pound.
The price jumped 77 percent in 2010 and has continued to climb this year, hitting $2.944 a pound earlier this month.
Meanwhile, global supplies have shrunk.
Brazil and Vietnam had good harvests last year, but many growers have held their supplies in hopes of selling at higher prices, said Spencer Patton, founder and chief investment officer for hedge fund Steel Vine Investments LLC.
In other trading, oil prices rose as traders focused on clashes in the Middle East that could tighten global supplies when consumption is expected to increase because of improving economies.
Benchmark West Texas crude for May delivery gained $1.88 to settle at $104.97 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Metals were mixed while grains and beans settled higher.
In contracts for May delivery, gold rose $1.20 to settle at $1,427.60 an ounce, silver added 26.8 cents to settle at $36.269 an ounce and copper gained 2.7 cents to $4.313 a pound.
April platinum fell $5.50 to settle at $1,739.40 an ounce.
Wheat for May delivery rose 1.25 cents to settle at $7.2225 a bushel, corn added 0.25 cent to $6.8675 a bushel and soybeans rose 2.5 cents to $13.655 a bushel.
