Expert Committee on Commodity Futures: Agreements and Disagreements

In its recent report, the expert committee on commodity futures concludes that futures trade in India has increased the price volatility of largely traded commodities (urad, chana, wheat) during periods of excess liquidity. It finds an increase in prices for commodities that have small market sizes and scarce deliverable supplies (mentha oil, wheat). In contrast, futures trading has led to a reduction in volatilities and aided better discovery for other commodities (soya oil, hessian). It appears that futures trade in agricultural commodities is beneficial for only those commodities that fulfil the basic selection criteria for futures trading accompanied by stringent and timely regulatory actions.