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Cotton futures weaker

NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuter) - NYCE cotton futures were mostly slightly weaker in light midday trading, with the market struggling to make any decisive headway in either direction, traders said.

NYCE cotton was called to open 0.20 cent higher, but by midday most of the nearby forward months were lower.

A floor source said speculative buying was largely holding up the market in the face of trade selling. Volumes were light compared to the heavier trading of the past few sessions.

"It's just having some trouble getting above unchanged in the July contract," the floor source said.

Although May still has about 2,000 lots more in open interest than July, speculative activity is increasingly focused on July as the first notice day period for May approaches.

At 1157 EDT May cotton was off 0.02 cent at 87.20 cents per lb, traded 87.40 to 86.75 cents. July was off 0.15 cent at 88.50 cents.-Reuter