Calendar-year total options volume saw a 50.6% increase over the 2000 calendar year attaining a new record level of 115,360 contracts, well ahead of the previous record of 89,118 contracts record set in 1994. Canola options volume levels also reached record levels for the 2001 calendar year at 109,617, well ahead of the previous record of 82,565 contracts set in the 1994 calendar year. Calendar-year total futures and options volume levels witnessed a new record in 2001 reaching 2,794,544 contracts, 16% higher than the 2,410,078 contracts set in the 2000 calendar year.
Activity in flaxseed futures pit trade was higher for the month of December, up 40.4% at 5,729 contracts, compared to the 4,080 contracts reached in December 2000. As well, a new record was set during the month of December for the March flaxseed contract. On December 18, 2001 the March 2002 flaxseed contract attained a record volume level of 1,346, well ahead of the previous record of 1,128 contracts set on December 17, 1993.
Total futures pit trade for the month of December declined slightly from a year ago, totaling 163,475 contracts, compared to 204,381 contracts in 2000. Overall decreases in canola, western barley and feed wheat futures were the driving factor behind the overall decline seen in total pit trade volume for December 2001. Total futures open interest levels as of December 31, 2001was 80,288 contracts, 13.8% below the 93,187 contracts open on December 31, 2000.
Crop year-to-date total options pit trade for 2001/02 witnessed a 27.7% increase reaching 33,545 contracts, well ahead of the 26,262 contracts traded during the same period one year earlier. Within this total canola options pit trade was 59.8% higher than one year earlier at 32,959 contracts. Total options and futures open interest levels saw a slight decline, down 17.2% from a year ago as of December 31, 2001 at 85,303 contracts.
