"Since it is likely to cost more than Rs40 million ($874,000) annually, they (federal officials) are said to be deliberating how the cost can be distributed among various sections of the trade and the government," the official said.Coffee Board officials said in June they had finalised three retention plans and had forwarded them to New Delhi.On Wednesday ACPC Secretary-General Roberio Silva said a delegation from the group would visit India on August 30 and Vietnam and Indonesia next month to monitor progress in meeting an October 1 deadline for retaining coffee exports.ACPC's 14-member nations are racing to implement an agreement reached earlier this year to withhold 20 percent of world coffee exports to boost weak global prices.Under India's first plan for retention, coffee would be bought and retained by the State Trading Corporation (STC) until prices moved above the ACPC benchmark of 95 US cents per pound.

Under the second plan the Coffee Futures Exchange of India (COFEI) would facilitate the retention of stocks at recognised warehouses. Growers would pay for the cost of retention but would be allowed to hedge on the stocks at COFEI for delivery not before January 2001. (Reuters)The third plan proposed buying by leading coffee firms at a price higher than current market levels but below 95 cents per pound. Any increase in prices would allow the firms to make profits while losses from a further price fall would be compensated by growers. India produces about four percent of the world's coffee and exports nearly 75 percent of its output. The Coffee Board has estimated output at a record 295,000 tonnes in 2000/01 (Sept-Oct) compared with 292,000 in the previous year.(Reuters)