US rice futures on the Chicago Board of Trade climbed 2 percent on Friday on rumoured export business, bucking a weaker trend that encompassed grains and most other commodities, traders said. Traders said talk of possible sales of US rice to Iraq and, separately, as food aid for Haiti helped buoy futures.

Market also bounced on short-covering after Thursday's one-week low. March rice settled up 30 cents, 2.16 percent, at $14.20 per hundredweight; back months finished up 7 to 31-1/2 cents. CBOT estimated volume on Friday at 1,945 rice futures and 80 options. India buys 19.3 million tonnes rice since October from local farmers.

Copyright Reuters, 2010