In markets that trade natural products, such as agricultural, fishery, energy, and commodities markets, oversupply or at least excess supply causes problems. When supply is high, prices plummet, causing significant damage to producers; conversely, when supply is low, prices rise, and consumer sentiment diminishes. As a result, both suppliers and consumers suffer. The challenge is that it is difficult to intentionally set the level of production. Because of this, a futures market develops in situations where we have to accept what nature provides. Futures trading is a method in which a producer and a distributor agree in advance to trade the price of an item to be produced in the future, without knowing the exact quantity yet. In other words, in futures trading, the focus is on price rather than quantity. Since it is challenging to stock items that require freshness, futures trading offers advantages by allowing transactions to be made in advance. However, if supply fluctuates too much, either the producer or the distributor loses heavily in futures trading. Therefore, for either party to gain an advantage in these transactions, they need the ability to store goods. Another strategy for producers is to store or supply items after partial or complete processing. Of course, this increases transaction costs and benefits financiers. Futures trading significantly reduces these costs. This is why understanding finance is beneficial even for farmers. It also explains why it’s essential to consider the transaction method before increasing sales revenue.
- Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
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