WCE Trading Volume Down in April

WINNIPEG - May 10/05 - SNS -- Trading volumes on the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) declined in April, with 145,023 futures and options contracts exchanging hands, down 15.4% from March 2005 and 36.9% lower than April 2004.

The WCE said there were 124,636 canola futures contracts traded in April 2005. This level of activity is 12.01% lower than a month ago and represents a 35% decline from a year ago.

Trade in canola options rose 88% from last month with 1,935 options contracts being traded. This is, however, a decline of 50% from the volume recorded in canola options a year ago.

Trade in feed wheat futures moved up 2.73% from last month to 8,987 contracts. This level of trade is 7.4% lower than April 2004.

Western barley futures volume declined sharply from a month ago and a year ago, with 9,325 contracts trading during April 2005. There were 140 western barley options contracts traded during the month.

Crop year-to-date volumes ended the month lower than a year ago. Futures volume for the 2004/05 crop year to-date stood at 1,497,963 contracts at the end of April, representing a decline of 5.3% from last year.

Total volume of trade in futures and options contracts for the crop year-to-date was 1,512,380 as at April 30, 2005. This level of trade is 6.4% lower than a year ago.

There were 76,024 futures and options contracts outstanding at the end of the month. This is a decline of 18.6% from the level of total open interest recorded at the end of April 2004.

Since converting to an electronic trading platform on December 20, 2004, as at April 30, 2005, there have been 736,060 futures contracts and 9,230 options contracts traded on WCE.