WINNIPEG (Dow Jones)--Grain and oilseed futures at the Winnipeg Commodity
 Exchange closed Thursday's session mainly a bit higher in dull activity as
 canola was supported by the absence of any significant selling, brokers said. 
  
   Canola futures saw choppy trade with values mainly fractionally higher in
 small volumes. Intermonth spreading was a minor factor as the November/January
 spread traded at C$8.30 to $8.00, November/March traded at $14.80 to $15.90,
 November/May traded at $20.10, November/July at $30.90 and January/March at
 $7.10. 
  
   An estimated 786 contracts were involved in the spread trade with the total
 volume estimated at 2,788 contracts, down from Wednesday's 5,853. 
  
   Canola futures finished the day mostly a bit higher in a dull trade. The
 market edged up mostly on a lack of any significant selling, trade sources
 said. 
  
   Farmer selling was virtually non-existent as producers have backed away from
 the market on talk of a potential frost on Friday. Environment Canada says that
 frost is possible in central Alberta on Friday, but they have not issued any
 frost warnings. Last year on Aug. 20, a frost lowered the quality of much of
 the canola crop and lifted prices. 
  
   "I'll be glad when we get past this frost talk," said a trader. "It's got
 farmers spooked and they are not delivering. However, for next week the weather
 calls for good conditions for harvesting and we should see some good harvest
 progress (in Alberta and Saskatchewan) and farmer selling then." 
  
   Contributing small support to the market was a weak Canadian dollar and talk
 that China was in the market for canola, traders said. The market ignored
 Chicago Board of Trade soybean price movement. 
  
   Routine Japanese export pricing met light speculative and commercial selling.
 Commodity funds were largely sidelined. 
  
   Feed grain futures were narrowly mixed in light trade. The market ignored
 CBOT corn, reacting to the lack of farmer selling and the weak Canadian dollar,
 which makes importing U.S. corn more expensive. Trading volumes were very small
 and, as a result, traders felt that Thursday's price direction was not
 significant. 
  
   Western barley were little changed as an estimated 92 contracts traded, down
 from 297 contracts traded on Wednesday. 
  
   Feed wheat saw small gains with an estimated 126 contracts changing hands,
 down from Wednesday's 363. 
  
   Prices are in Canadian dollars per metric ton: 
  
  
             Settlement   Change 
             Prices 
 Canola 
    Nov       280.80       up 0.90 
    Jan       289.10       up 1.10 
 Feed Wheat 
    Oct        98.00       up 1.00 
    Dec       103.00       up 1.00 
 Western barley 
    Oct       116.50       dn 0.10 
    Dec       120.50       up 0.50