Denver

THE longest winning streak in two decades propelled cotton to 2017's biggest increase among crop commodities, and hedge funds are ready for more gains in 2018.

Of the nine components tracked by the Bloomberg Agriculture Subindex, only cotton and wheat contracts posted gains last year. The fibre lead the way with an 11 per cent advance as demand grew for US exports. Prices capped 2017 with 10 straight weekly gains, the best streak since 1998.