A soybean farmer who uses futures contracts to protect against future price declines is referred to as a:

• A. Speculator
• B. Hedger
• C. Arbitrageur
• D. Market maker

Answer: (B)

Hedging with futures to manage price risk is exactly what a farmer doing this is doing. A soybean producer is exposed to the volatility of crop prices at harvest, so using futures contracts to lock in a selling price reduces that uncertainty. By taking a short futures position, the farmer secures a price floor for the crop. If cash prices fall, the gains on the futures hedge offset the lower revenue from selling the actual soybeans, leaving revenue more stable. If prices rise, the farmer sacrifices some upside but still protects against a worse downturn. This risk-management approach focuses on stabilizing income rather than aiming to profit from price movements, which is why it’s called hedging. The other roles describe participants who seek to profit from mispricing or provide liquidity, not someone seeking to reduce price risk for a production operation.