WCE Trading Volumes Continues Rising

WINNIPEG - Oct 2/06 - SNS -- Trading volume at the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange continues to rise, with September managing the board's 16th consecutive monthly increase when compared to the previous year.

A total of 240,837 futures and options contracts were traded during September 2006 which is 50.3% higher than a year ago and 36.5% higher than a month ago.

Trade in canola futures contracts on Friday, September 29, 2006 saw volume records set in January and November canola futures contracts. Trade for that day in November 2006 canola futures contracts hit 18,649 contracts and trade in January 2007 canola futures contracts reached 18,771 contracts. In addition, the total trade in all canola futures contracts reached a daily record of 39,375 contracts.

Compared to the same month a year ago, canola futures volume for September 2006 was up 53% at 212,164 contracts. Western barley futures contract volume for the month was 96.8% over that of a year ago at 14,903 contracts. There were 7,857 feed wheat futures contracts traded during September.

Trade in options contracts during September totaled 5,688 canola options contracts and 225 western barley options contracts.

Two months into the 2006/07 crop year (since August 1, 2006), crop year-to-date volume on WCE is 37.9% over that of a year ago at 417,248 futures and options contracts.

At the end of September 2006 total open interest stood at 105,519 contracts which is an increase of 18.9% from a year ago.