VIKING, ALBERTA, CANADA — Alberta Cargill announced at the end of July that it has sold one of its two grain elevators in Viking, Alberta, Canada, to Providence Grain Group Inc.

According to Providence officials, the addition of the Cargill grain elevator with a 5,000-tonne storage capacity, will complement Providence's existing presence in Viking as well as regionally. Cargill will continue to operate its Viking-West facility, which was acquired in June 2007 from Agricore United and has a 15,000-tonne capacity.

MGEX marks fifth highest electronic trading volume day

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. — The Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX), a designated contract market (DCM) and derivatives clearing organization (DCO), announced Aug. 5 electronic futures and options trading volume of an estimated 12,498 contracts for its flagship hard red spring wheat (HRSW) contract.

The total marks the fifth highest electronic volume day in the history of MGEX. Total daily exchange volume was an estimated 14,782 contracts traded.

"Pockets of drought in the Russian and E.U. wheat producing areas have driven global wheat futures prices up," said Mark G. Bagan, MGEX president and chief executive officer. "Additionally Russia has announced a ban on wheat exports which is further affecting the international marketplace."

The daily electronic volume record was set on Nov. 9, 2009 when 18,592 futures and options contracts traded electronically at MGEX.