Overall, Winnipeg futures trade declined roughly 20.7% to 175,800 contracts for the month of October 2002 compared to the same month one year ago. With the Exchange for Physicals (EFPs) included, October 2002 futures trading volume totaled 191,023 contracts. Total futures open interest as of October 31, 2002 was 67,548 contracts, 27.2% below the 92,781 contracts open on October 31, 2001.
Crop year-to-date total futures pit trade in 2002/03 was down 9.5% at 514,442 contracts compared to 568,671 contracts in the 2001/02 crop year. WCE total futures and options pit trade combined declined 23.3% from October 2001, totaling 176,776 contracts. Feed wheat, flaxseed and western barley futures were the main factors behind the overall decline seen in total pit trade for the month of October. Total futures and options open interest levels as of October 31, 2002 was 70,749 contracts, compared to the 96,343 contracts open on October 31, 2001.
Crop year-to-date futures and options pit trade for 2002/03 reached 519,684 contracts, below the 596,424 contracts traded during the same period of the 2001/02 crop year.
Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Inc. has delisted its field pea futures contract effective October 15, 2002. The decision to delist the contract was based on the limited trading activity of the contract and an extensive review of the issue with the cash pea trade
