CHICAGO — The CME Group said today it will reduce trading hours for grain and oilseed futures and options from the current 21 hours effective April 8, pending Commodity Futures Trading Commission approval.

“Over the past several months, we have received significant customer feedback about the current C.B.O.T. grain trading hours,” Tim Andriesen, CME Group managing director, agricultural commodities and alternative investments, said. “As a result, we engaged our customers more formally through one-on-one conversations, focus groups and an on-line survey, which attracted more than 4,000 responses, to determine what hours best meet their needs. While there were varying options about what the modifications to hours should be, we believe these changes balance the needs of our diverse global customers based on their feedback.”

Electronic and floor trading hours for C.B.O.T. corn, soybeans, wheat, soybean meal, soybean oil, rough rice and oats, and Kansas City Board of Trade wheat futures and options, plus related C.B.O.T. and K.C.B.T. calendar spread options and inter-commodity spread options will be as follows: 7:00 p.m. to 7:45 a.m. Central Time Sunday to Friday for electronic trading, with a break from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Central Time Monday to Friday. Floor trading and CME Globex trading for the same instruments will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Central Time Monday to Friday, the CME Group said. Mini-sized corn, soybean and wheat contracts will continue to trade on CME Globex and on the floor until 1:45 p.m. Central time.

Floor trading currently ceases at 2:00 p.m. Central time.