Chicago Board of Trade rice futures finished higher Thursday as position squaring ahead of Friday's U.S. Department of Agriculture planting and stocks data underpinned prices.

May rice gained 9 1/2 cents to $10.14 1/2 per hundredweight and November rose 10 cents to $11.04. The market was firm all day on pre-report position squaring.

Floor traders said expectations are for rice planted acres to decline 6% to 8% in 2007 but that the recent ban on Clearfield 131 rice seed would cloud the issue until the June acreage report is released.