Spot market design crucial for success of dairy futures, study finds.
The design of spot markets is crucial for the success of futures markets. In the US, nonfat dry milk spot market has multiple pricing benchmarks, while New Zealand has a single reference price. US benchmarks cannot be effectively hedged with futures, but NZ whole milk powder futures are a good hedge. Spot market design factors like timeliness, market-based measurement, forward-spot separation, and inclusiveness play a key role in determining hedging effectiveness.