Overall, Winnipeg futures trade declined approximately 9.3% to 138,445 contracts for the month of May 2003 compared to the same month one year ago. Total futures open interest as of May 31, 2003 was 63,999 contracts, 4.0% above the 61,533 contracts open on May 31, 2002.
WCE total futures and options volume combined declined 9.9% from May 2002, totaling 140,187 contracts. Flaxseed and feed wheat futures were contributing factors behind the overall decline seen in pit trade for the month of May. Total futures and options open interest levels as of May 31, 2003 was 66,747 contracts, compared to the 66,902 contracts open on May 31, 2002.
Crop year-to-date futures and options trade for 2002/03 reached 1,656,238 contracts, below the 2,029,169 contracts traded during the same period of the 2001/02 crop year.
Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Inc. has approved an enhanced flaxseed futures contract design, to be effective with the December 2003 and subsequent contracts. Trading of the revised contracts will begin on June 5, 2003.
*Please note that volume numbers now include pit trades, Exchange for Physicals (EFPs), Exchange for Risk (EFRs), futures deliveries and options exercises.
