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摘要

Challenges Growers have full exposure to world markets, due to pull-back of EU protection in 1990s. Also facing pressure from fertiliser and agrochemical markets. Tools availableSell crop forward - Fixes price aheadManaged pools - Merchant or co-op markets on growers' behalfTracker contracts - Follows market overtime period and takes average priceFeed plus contracts - Gives grower a certain premium for hitting quality targetMin/max contracts - Gives grower upper and lower limit to priceEnd-user deals - Links producer with final buyer, guaranteeing agreed spec and price for a specific quantityFutures trading - Through a broker, grower buys and sells contracts on the exchange to protect against price changesOptions contracts - Lets grower using futures benefit from upward or downward movements, for a premium.