Feed wheat futures recorded the sharpest increase in volume, rising 128.2% from last month’s volume of trade and 122.0% from year ago volume. A total of 9,010 feed wheat futures contracts changed hands during September.
Western barley futures posted good gains in volume, with 23,072 futures contracts being traded during the month. This level of activity is 54.5% higher than August 2004 and 18.7% higher than September 2003.
Volume of trade in canola futures contracts was modest, recording increases of 16.3% and 3.3% from month ago and year ago levels respectively. There were 113,368 canola futures contracts traded during September 2004.
There were 15 flaxseed futures contracts traded under the revised contract terms. The new flaxseed futures contract was listed for trading on September 16, 2004.
Total volume of trade in futures and options contracts during the first two months of the 2004/05 crop year is 9.8% higher than the level of the first two months of the 2003/04 crop year. Since August 1, 2004 there have been 264,072 futures and options contracts traded on WCE.
At the end of September 2004 total open interest stood at 68,713 contracts, representing an increase of 4.4% from a year ago.