Total volume of trade on Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Inc. ("WCE") for the crop year-to-date (since August 1, 2006) was 2,055,602 contracts at the end of March 2007. This is an increase of 20.4% from the crop year-to-date volume level recorded a year ago.
Since the beginning of the 2006/07 crop year there have been 1,837,760 canola futures contracts traded, representing an increase of 19.5% from the same time period a year ago. Crop year-to-date volume for western barley futures contracts is 153,747 contracts, which is up 63.5% from a year ago. Wheat futures contract volume for the crop year-to-date is 47,257 contracts. The total number of options contracts traded on WCE since the beginning of the crop year is 16,838.
Total volume of trade on WCE during March 2007 was 225,572 futures and options contracts.
Canola futures contract volume for the month was 198,589 contracts. Western barley futures volume was 21,229 contracts and feed wheat futures contract trade totaled 5,096 contracts. There were 658 options contracts traded (483 canola options and 175 western barley options).
While open interest in options as at March 31, 2007 was lower than a year ago, open interest in WCE futures contracts was 7.9% higher than at the end of March 2006. Total open interest in WCE futures and options contracts stood at 124,531 contracts at the end of March 2007.
Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Inc., established in 1887, has been facilitating futures contract trading since 1904. WCE is Canada's only agricultural futures and options exchange and North America's first fully electronic commodity exchange. WCE offers futures and options contracts on canola, domestic feed wheat, and western barley.
