February 03, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 24, 1429

CHICAGO, Feb 2: US rough rice futures on the Chicago Board of Trade ended higher on Friday, rising to an all-time high on follow-through technical strength from Thursday, traders said.

A strong export sales report released Thursday morning ignited the latest rally in CBOT rice. The strength continued during Asian trading hours when chart-based buying resumed.

CBOT rice made contract highs across the board. March rice ended 35 cents higher at $15.17 per hundredweight. The record top was made in the July contract at $15.77 -- then closed 32 cents higher at $15.69.

Commodity fund buying out of JP Morgan, Citigroup and Rosenthal Collins boosted prices and volume.

Volume was large estimated at 3,621 futures and 564 options. That compared to 3,006 futures and 138 options that traded on Thursday.

Also bullish was Citigroup buying $17.60 May call options at 18 cents. That was the highest strike price ever written in the rice pit, the rice trader said.—Reuters