Economics 135

Agricultural Firms, Markets, and Prices

Fall 2002

 


Questions and Answers

Q:  In our Homework 7 set, there is a word 'short' in brackets in question 1and 'long' in question 2. The first one in question 1 - Short - is confusing making us think the farmer sold the put options rather than buying it.


A:  The term "short" hedge or "long" hedge refers to your futures position.  When an option buyer notifies his/her broker that he or she wants to exercise an option, the notice goes to the BOT Clearing Corporation and the Clearing Corporation creates a new futures position at the assigned (agreed upon) strike price.  The buyer of a call option has a long futures position; the buyer of a put option has a short futures position.  See CBOT, Agricultural Futures and Options p. 31-33.


Submit questions