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As the price of corn (maize) and tortillas soar in Mexico, the government has declared that it will protect the population from further price rises by dealing directly on financial futures markets. An unprecedented statement.
Corn prices did indeed rise sharply during December: the price per bushel1 increased to more than $6, an increase of nearly 46% compared to January 2010, the highest level since mid-2008. Faced with this fluctuation, tortilla manufacturers have threatened to increase their prices by 50%. An increase that would be dangerous to political and social balance as tortillas, consisting primarily of corn, are the staple food of millions of Mexicans. The country has experienced previous food riots in 2007, precisely because of high inflation on tortillas.
Consequently, fearing repeat riots, the government has taken an unprecedented step. The Minister of Economy, Bruno Ferrari publicly announced on 22nd December 2010, that the government had bought futures contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to guarantee acceptable prices for consumers. 4.2 million tons of grain have been purchased by the Mexican government through options on futures markets and this, on behalf of agribusiness professionals. “The price and supply of corn, will be guaranteed until the third quarter of 2011” said the minister.
For Richard Feltes, an analyst at a brokerage firm, “this is the first time a State has publicly revealed its intention to buy futures contracts”2» . A statement that shows that at a time when agricultural commodity prices are increasingly volatile, we are witnessing the unabashed return of State intervention on the markets.
1 A bushel is the measure used in the USA and for corn (maize) is equivalent to 0.0254 metric tonnes.
2 Source : Financial Times 22 December 2010.
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