Comments on: Please Read this and Pass It On http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/ Finding the keys to the future…and trying not to lose them in the mess. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:04:58 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lawrence Landherr http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/comment-page-1/#comment-4339 Lawrence Landherr Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:21:28 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/#comment-4339 Excellent idea that gets at the heart of the problem. Corn prices are not at all time highs because of a shortage of corn. It's speculators that have driven up the price. Ethanol plants get harangued for "taking" all the corn. Most people don't realize that the corn used in ethanol production produces massive amounts of distillers dried grains that local livestock producers near the ethanol plants utilize to feed their livestock. The high prices are generated in the market trading pits. Kind of like the price of silver a couple decades ago when the Hunt Bros tried to corner the market on silver. Excellent idea that gets at the heart of the problem. Corn prices are not at all time highs because of a shortage of corn. It’s speculators that have driven up the price. Ethanol plants get harangued for “taking” all the corn. Most people don’t realize that the corn used in ethanol production produces massive amounts of distillers dried grains that local livestock producers near the ethanol plants utilize to feed their livestock. The high prices are generated in the market trading pits. Kind of like the price of silver a couple decades ago when the Hunt Bros tried to corner the market on silver.

]]> By: Greenpa http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/comment-page-1/#comment-4338 Greenpa Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:48:31 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/#comment-4338 Wow. Thanks Sharon. I'm fully aware of what it means when YOU say "this may be viable." It's working- 1200 people saw that post in the last 24 hrs; I'm going to let it run another day without adding anything, to avoid confusion. Brian- outlawing speculation does NOT mean you'd have to close the futures markets. It would just mean limiting the markets to people who are actually involved in the crop- no hedge funds. Etc. Easy? heck no. Wow. Thanks Sharon. I’m fully aware of what it means when YOU say “this may be viable.”

It’s working- 1200 people saw that post in the last 24 hrs; I’m going to let it run another day without adding anything, to avoid confusion.

Brian- outlawing speculation does NOT mean you’d have to close the futures markets. It would just mean limiting the markets to people who are actually involved in the crop- no hedge funds. Etc. Easy? heck no.

]]> By: Sharon http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/comment-page-1/#comment-4337 Sharon Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:10:00 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/#comment-4337 Regulation of agricultural speculation would certainly reduce volatility to a degree - regulating hedge fund speculation in agriculture certainly would prevent things like the 4% overnight rise in rice prices that happened yesterday. I realize Greenpa's piece is a rant, and it isn't a proposal for nuanced regulation. That said, I think there's a real place for rants, and for getting people discussing what limitations are possible on speculative commodities markets in the face of a real crisis. In fact, we have a long history of regulating speculation in needed resources during a commodity - during WWII, for example futures prices where very strictly regulated, and food price constraints instituted. I can discuss this at more length when I get back! Sharon Regulation of agricultural speculation would certainly reduce
volatility to a degree – regulating hedge fund speculation in
agriculture certainly would prevent things like the 4% overnight
rise in rice prices that happened yesterday.

I realize Greenpa’s piece is a rant, and it isn’t a proposal for nuanced
regulation. That said, I think there’s a real place for rants, and for
getting people discussing what limitations are possible on speculative
commodities markets in the face of a real crisis.

In fact, we have a long history of regulating speculation in needed
resources during a commodity – during WWII, for example futures
prices where very strictly regulated, and food price constraints
instituted.

I can discuss this at more length when I get back!

Sharon

]]> By: Brian M. http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/comment-page-1/#comment-4336 Brian M. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:54:53 +0000 http://sharonastyk.com/2008/04/18/please-read-this-and-pass-it-on/#comment-4336 Sharon what do you think would happen if agricultural speculation were successfully outlawed? How would it effect agribusiness and small farmers? Sharon what do you think would happen if agricultural speculation
were successfully outlawed? How would it effect agribusiness
and small farmers?

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