COMMODITY RISK MANAGEMENT

AGR3CRM

2020

Credit points: 15

Subject outline

This subject introduces students to factors impacting on agricultural production which are beyond the farm gate. It focuses on understanding commodity markets and the price discovery mechanism, local pricing, supply chains, price-currency risks, and the global agribusiness environment. Risk is examined and the need for forward markets to offset this risk is explained. Problems with supply chain integration will be detailed, while strategies to manage both price and currency risk will be evaluated. Topics include the market price mechanism, commercial trade markets, characteristics of forward markets, identifying market position and calculating exposure through position valuation, risk transfer mechanisms, establishing risk management objectives, problems with forward contracts under high default risk, futures and options hedging, basis risk, over-the-counter bank pricing products, and managing commodity risks within the organisation.

School: Life Sciences (Pre 2022)

Credit points: 15

Subject Co-ordinator: Gary Clark

Available to Study Abroad/Exchange Students: Yes

Subject year level: Year Level 3 - UG

Available as Elective: No

Learning Activities: N/A

Capstone subject: No

Subject particulars

Subject rules

Prerequisites: N/A

Co-requisites: N/A

Incompatible subjects: FIN3DER

Equivalent subjects: N/A

Quota Management Strategy: N/A

Quota-conditions or rules: N/A

Special conditions: N/A

Minimum credit point requirement: N/A

Assumed knowledge: N/A

Learning resources

Agricultural Price Risk Management: The Principles of Commodity Trading

Resource Type: Book

Resource Requirement: Recommended

Author: Williams, J. and Schroder, B.

Year: 1999

Edition/Volume: N/A

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: N/A

Chapter/article title: N/A

Chapter/issue: N/A

URL: N/A

Other description: N/A

Source location: N/A

Agricultural Supply Chains and the Challenge of Price Risk

Resource Type: Book

Resource Requirement: Prescribed

Author: Williams, J.

Year: 2014

Edition/Volume: N/A

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: N/A

Chapter/article title: N/A

Chapter/issue: N/A

URL: N/A

Other description: N/A

Source location: N/A

Career Ready

Career-focused: No

Work-based learning: No

Self sourced or Uni sourced: N/A

Entire subject or partial subject: N/A

Total hours/days required: N/A

Location of WBL activity (region): N/A

WBL addtional requirements: N/A

Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes

Graduate Capabilities

Intended Learning Outcomes

01. Identify the major risk variables in agricultural food-fibre supply chains.
02. Analyse forward commodity market characteristics in commercial trade markets.
03. Apply the principles of market risk management to supply chain situations.
04. Evaluate hedging tactics and calculate hedging risks and the impact of basis movement in order to minimise the impact of risk variables on business profitability.
05. Design flexible strategies to achieve the risk target objectives.
06. Implement over-the-counter bank products.

Melbourne (Bundoora), 2020, Week 09-15, Day

Overview

Online enrolment: Yes

Maximum enrolment size: N/A

Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Gary Clark

Class requirements

Block ModeWeek: 9 - 9
Five 9.00 hours block mode per week on weekdays during the day from week 9 to week 9 and delivered via face-to-face.
Five 9-hour days in Week 9

LectureWeek: 12 - 12
One 3.00 hours lecture per week on weekdays during the day from week 12 to week 12 and delivered via face-to-face.

WorkShopWeek: 12 - 12
One 4.00 hours workshop per week on weekdays during the day from week 12 to week 12 and delivered via face-to-face.

Assessments

Assessment elementCommentsCategoryContributionHurdle%ILO*

One written 2-hour examination

N/AN/AN/ANo60SILO1, SILO2, SILO3, SILO4, SILO5, SILO6

One written in-class test - (equivalent 500 words)

N/AN/AN/ANo10SILO1

One written report (hedging exercise) - (equivalent 1500 words)

N/AN/AN/ANo20SILO2, SILO3, SILO4, SILO5, SILO6

One written report (trading account exercise) - (equivalent 500 words)

N/AN/AN/ANo10SILO2