LONDON - ICE front-month raw sugar futures eased off a 30-year peak on Thursday, underpinned by planned Egyptian offtake against a backdrop of low global stocks . Liffe white sugar futures also surged but were shy of Tuesday's record high, supported by tight export availability from Brazil and India, the world's leading producers. An Egyptian newspaper report referring to Egyptian plans to buy raw sugar helped drive raw sugar futures to the peak in early trade, as some players scrambled to cover short positions. "The hot news is a report from Egypt that it could be looking to buy raw sugar," a senior European broker said. "There may also be some investors forced to cover short positions." Futures prices eased back after Reuters confirmed the newspaper report. Egypt's state-owned Sugar and Integrated Industries Company (SIIC) said on Thursday it planned to import about 500,000 tonnes of raw sugar in 2011. ICE front-month raw sugar futures were down 0.32 cent to 32.49 cents a lb at 1102 GMT, having earlier touched the 30-year peak of 33.39 cents a lb. Liffe December white sugar futures were up $13.70 or 1.7 per cent to $803.50 per tonne, within reach of Tuesday's record high of $812.90. The broker said the Egyptian demand had not been expected by the market and would be considered bullish as global stocks are low and the centre-south Brazilian cane harvest is wrapping up. Egyptian stocks are thin before the new harvest due to start in the coming weeks, and the domestic Egyptian sugar price has surged lately.