FMC considering allowing forward trading on the spot exchange

13 Jun 2011 Evaluate

Forward Markets Commission (FMC), the Commodity markets regulator is planning to allow forward trading in metal and agriculture produce on the spot exchange platform. NSEL, an exchange being promoted by Financial Technologies (India) (FTIL) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has put an application to start forward contracts with the regulator. There are three commodity spot trading exchanges: NSEL, NCDEX Spot Exchange and Reliance Spot Exchange.

Currently, futures trading in commodities are permitted on five online national commodity exchanges - Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE), Indian Commodity Exchange (ICE) and ACE Derivatives and Commodity Exchange.

NSEL has applied to provide a mechanism to stakeholders of the spot market in which a farmer can sell crop days before its harvest, where the exchange will guarantee delivery at the booked price. Settlement on futures contracts occurs over a range of dates; forwards have only one settlement date. Though, NSEL has said that they are planning to introduce contracts which should not clash with existing futures exchange.

Forward contracts help farmers to lock-in prices in advance, while it assures guaranteed supply at a fixed price for buyers. The forward price of a contract is generally contrasted with the spot price. The difference between the spot and the forward price is the forward premium or discount, generally considered as profit or loss by the purchasing party. While, forward contract settlement occurs at the end of the contract, futures contracts are marked-to-market daily, which means that daily changes are settled day-on-day until the end of the contract.

The FMC is also considering a regulation to make agri commodities deposited at one exchange fungible across the board. This means uniform quality standards would be adopted across all exchanges.

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