UPDATE 1-CME to launch Ukrainian wheat futures with Platts in April

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PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) - CME Group said on Wednesday it will list Ukrainian wheat futures and options next month in partnership with pricing agency Platts, expanding its footprint in the major grain-exporting Black Sea region to a third contract.

The derivatives, to be launched on its Globex electronic platform, will be effective from Sunday April 11 for trading on Monday April 12, pending regulatory approval, the market operator said in an emailed notice.

CME, which operates the Chicago Board of Trade, and Platts already offer cash-settled futures for Russian wheat and Ukrainian corn, the main grain export products in the Black Sea region.

The announcement of their Ukrainian wheat contract comes two months after Euronext said it was developing cash-settled futures for Ukrainian wheat with commodity pricing agency Argus Media.

CME's wheat contract will also be cash-settled and be based on Platts' Ukrainian wheat 11.5% protein FOB (free on board) daily price assessment, CME said in a further notice posted on its website.

The first listed contract month will be May 2021. (Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Jan Harvey)