Commodity markets are markets where raw or primary products are exchanged. These raw commodities are traded on regulated commodities exchanges, in which they are bought and sold in standardized Contracts.

This article focuses on the history and current debates regarding global commodity markets. It covers physical product (food, metals, electricity) markets but not the ways that services, including those of governments, nor investment, nor debt, can be seen as a commodity. Articles on reinsurance markets, stock markets, bond markets and currency markets cover those concerns separately and in more depth. One focus of this article is the relationship between simple commodity money and the more complex instruments offered in the commodity markets.

The modern commodity markets have their roots in the trading of agricultural products. While wheat and corn, cattle and pigs, were widely traded using standard instruments in the 19th century in the United States, other basic foodstuffs such as soybeans were only added quite recently in most markets. For a commodity market to be established, there must be very broad consensus on the variations in the product that make it acceptable for one purpose or another. The economic impact of the development of commodity markets is hard to over-estimate. Through the 19th century "the exchanges became effective spokesmen for, and innovators of, improvements in transportation, warehousing, and financing, which paved the way to expanded interstate and international trade”.

Commodities exchange -:

A commodities exchange is an exchange where various commodities and derivatives products are traded. Most commodity markets across the world trade in agricultural products and other raw materials (like wheat, barley, sugar, maize, cotton, cocoa, coffee, milk products, pork bellies, oil, metals, etc.) and contracts based on them. These contracts can include spot prices, forwards, futures and options on futures. Other sophisticated products may include interest rates, environmental instruments, swaps, or ocean freight contracts.

Commodities trading

Commodities exchanges, usually trade futures contracts on commodities. Such as trading contracts to receive something, say corn, in a certain month. A farmer raising corn can sell a future contract on his corn, which will not be harvested for several months, and guarantee the price he will be paid when he delivers; a breakfast cereal producer buys the contract now and guarantees the price will not go up when it is delivered. This protects the farmer from price drops and the buyer from price rises. Speculators also buy and sell the futures contracts to make a profit and provide liquidity to the system.

Indian Commodity market. -:

National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) -: National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) is a professionally managed on-line multi commodity exchange promoted by ICICI Bank Limited (ICICI Bank), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE). Canara Bank (PNB), CRISIL Limited (formerly the Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited), Goldman Sachs, Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and Punjab National Bank by subscribing to the equity shares have joined the initial promoters as shareholders of the Exchange. NCDEX is the only commodity exchange in the country promoted by national level institutions. This unique parentage enables it to offer a bouquet of benefits, which are currently in short supply in the commodity markets. The institutional promoters and shareholders of NCDEX are prominent players in their respective fields and bring with them institutional building experience, trust, nationwide reach, technology and risk management skills.

NCDEX is a public limited company incorporated on April 23, 2003 under the Companies Act, 1956. It obtained its Certificate for Commencement of Business on May 9, 2003. It commenced its operations on December 15, 2003.

NCDEX is a nation-level, technology driven de-mutualised on-line commodity exchange with an independent Board of Directors and professional management - both not having any vested interest in commodity markets. It is committed to provide a world-class commodity exchange platform for market participants to trade in a wide spectrum of commodity derivatives driven by best global practices, professionalism and transparency.

NCDEX is regulated by Forward Markets Commission. NCDEX is subjected to various laws of the land like the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, Companies Act, Stamp Act, Contract Act and various other legislations.

NCDEX is located in Mumbai and offers facilities to its members about 550 centers throughout India. The reach will gradually be expanded to more centers.

NCDEX currently facilitates trading of 57 commodities -

Agriculture -

Barley, Cashew, Castor Seed, Chana, Chilli, Coffee - Arabica, Coffee - Robusta, Crude Palm Oil, Cotton Seed Oilcake, Expeller Mustard Oil, Groundnut (in shell), Groundnut Expeller Oil, Guar gum, Guar Seeds, Gur, Jeera, Jute sacking bags, Indian Parboiled Rice, Indian Pusa Basmati Rice, Indian Traditional Basmati Rice, Indian Raw Rice, Indian 28.5 mm Cotton, Indian 31 mm Cotton, Masoor Grain Bold, Medium Staple Cotton, Mentha Oil, Mulberry Green Cocoons, Mulberry Raw Silk, Mustard Seed, Pepper, Potato, Raw Jute, Rapeseed-Mustard Seed Oilcake, RBD Palmolein, Refined Soy Oil, Rubber, Sesame Seeds, Soyabean, Sugar, Yellow Soybean Meal, Tur, Turmeric, Urad, V-797 Kapas, Wheat, Yellow Peas, Yellow Red Maize.

Metals -

Aluminums Ingot, Electrolytic Copper Cathode, Gold, Mild Steel Ingots, Nickel Cathode, Silver, Sponge Iron, Zinc Ingot.

Energy -

Brent Crude Oil, Furnace Oil.

Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd.

MCX is an independent and de-mutulised multi commodity exchange. It was inaugurated on November 10, 2003 by Mr. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Ltd.; and has permanent recognition from the Government of India for facilitating online trading, clearing and settlement operations for commodities futures market across the country. Today, MCX features amongst the world's top three bullion exchanges and top four energy exchanges.

MCX offers a wide spectrum of opportunities to a large cross section of participants including producers/ processors, traders, corporate, regional trading center, importers, exporters, co-operatives and industry associations amongst others. Headquartered in the financial capital of India, Mumbai, MCX is led by an expert management team with deep domain knowledge of the commodities futures market. Presently, the average daily turnover of MCX is around USD1.55 bn (Rs.7,000 crore - April 2006), with a record peak turnover of USD3.98 bn (Rs.17,987 crore) on April 20, 2006. In the first calendar quarter of 2006, MCX holds more than 55% market share of the total trading volume of all the domestic commodity exchanges. The exchange has also affected large deliveries in domestic commodities, signifying the efficiency of price discovery.

Being a nation-wide commodity exchange having state-of-the-art infrastructure, offering multiple commodities for trading with wide reach and penetration, MCX is well placed to tap the vast potential poised by the commodities market.