Chicago Board of Trade rough rice futures closed firm on Wednesday on light commission house and commercial buying, brokers said.
CBOT rice futures closed up 5 to 9-1/2 cents per hundredweight, with January up 8 cents at $8.42 and March up 9-1/2 cents at $8.61 per cwt.
"ADM Investor Services bought about 100 March, while R.J. O'Brien, FC Stone and Cargill Investor Services also bought March," one CBOT rice trader said. "Man Financial bought March, but then sold near the highs."
There were 127 deliveries posted against CBOT January rice on Wednesday, with a customer of Century Trading stopping 36 lots.
CBOT rough rice futures volume on Wednesday was estimated at 502 futures compared with 1,460 lots on Tuesday. Options trade totalled 44 contracts.