A record audience tuned in Oct. 29 for Managing Risk in a Volatile Fertilizer Market, a 90-minute interactive audio conference sponsored by Green Markets. The event allowed registrants to listen via telephone as three risk management experts discussed a range of techniques to mitigate pricing, supply, and demand risk, and also ask questions in a live format at the conclusion of the panel discussion.
The speakers assembled by Green Markets included Keith Swanson, manager of dealer risk management services for CHS Inc.; Darrel Ingram, president of Direct Hedge S.A.; and Ryan Sherwood, price risk management consultant for FCStone. All three speakers noted the opportune timing of the event, with fertilizer prices for nitrogen and phosphate products plummeting in recent weeks after reaching historic highs through much of 2008.
Topics included in-depth looks at hedging strategies, cash settled swaps, and futures contracts. “Price risk is as great as it’s ever been,” said Swanson at the start of his presentation, predicting continued market swings throughout 2009 and 2010. “This volatility will stay with us. It’s not going away any time soon.”
An audio recording of this event and past Green Markets audio conferences is available on CD-Rom for $199, and can be ordered by visiting http://greenmarkets.pf.com/webinar.