Futures volume increased 25.7% from last year’s level and 11.9% from March 2004 volume. Western barley volume soared 86.2% over last month’s volume with 23,806 contracts trading during April. This volume of trade is also 26.1% higher than Western barley trade recorded in April 2003. Feed wheat trade rose 39.2% from a year ago but was 9.2% lower than last month’s volume at 9,700 contracts. Canola futures volume was higher than month ago and year ago levels with 192,429 contracts being traded. This level of activity is 7.8% higher than March 2004 and 25.3% higher than April 2003. The July canola futures contract posted a volume record on April 13th when 10,838 contracts were traded in that contract month.
The options market posted sharp increases from the levels of a month ago and a year ago, with gains of 99% and 256.5% respectively. There were 3,881 canola options and 176 Western Barley options traded during April.
Crop year-to-date volume rose 5.6% in futures and 97% in options, with total volume rising 6.6% from last year. There have been 1,581,965 futures contracts and 34,513 options contracts traded during the 2003/04 crop year.
: At the end of April total open interest stood at 93,468 contracts representing an increase of 37.4% from the level recorded last year.
Please note that volume numbers now include pit trades, Exchange for Physicals (EFP’S), Exchange for Risk (EFR’s), futures deliveries and options exercises.
