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Total monthly trading volume of futures and options on Winnipeg Commodity Exchange Inc. (WCE) during June 2007 reached 352,231 contracts, breaking records set in February 2001. This level of trade is 38.3% higher than June 2006.
Trade in canola futures contracts in June also set a monthly all-time record at 321,022 contracts, representing an increase in trade of 34.3% from a year ago. The November 2007 canola futures contract set volume and open interest records for any contract month on June 29th when 21,643 contracts were traded and open interest stood at 99,955.
Western barley futures contract volume during June soared 185.1% over that of a year ago to 23,044 contracts. The October 2007 western barley futures contract set an open interest record for that contract month on June 25, 2007 when open interest reached 13,161 contracts.
Feed wheat futures contract trade totaled 6,771 contracts, an increase of 1.2% from last year.
There were 1,394 options contracts traded during the month, which is an increase of 44.8% from June 2006.
With only one more month left in the 2006/07 crop year, crop year-to-date (since August 1, 2006) total volume edged to over three million contracts (3,008,202) representing an increase of 22.4% from last year. The record total futures and options crop year volume was set in 2000/01 at 3,098,918 contracts.
Crop year-to-date trade in canola futures of 2,713,777 contracts has already surpassed the record set in the 2000/01 crop year when 2,433,018 canola futures contracts were traded.
At the end of June 2007, western barley futures crop year-to-date volume of 210,477 contracts exceeds the totals reached for that commodity during the 2005/06 and 2004/05 crop years (142,217 and 176,872 contracts respectively). Revisions made to the Western Barley Futures Contract that are effective with the October 2007 contract will provide for price discovery and risk management of an international barley contract on the scale of the current canola contract when dual marketing for barley is implemented on August 1, 2007.
Total open interest at the end of June stood at 142,128 futures and options contracts representing an increase of 40.9% from a year ago.
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.
