Use of Buffer Stock as a Means of Stabilising Prices

It was designed to even out price fluctuations for producers and to maintain production. An intervention price is set, which is a minimum fixed price. Minimum prices are usually set to help producers increase their incomes. The government may decide that the free market price for wheat is too low a price for farmers to receive and therefore set a minimum price. (fig. 1)This will result in an increase in supply of wheat because farmers can receive higher prices for it. This increase in price then leads to a decrease in demand so there will be an excess supply. Because of this excess, the government has to intervene in the mar

leads to an increase in supply from Q1 to Q3. But due to the increase in price, demand

The government may set an intervention

In the case of wheat, when free market price is below the intervention price, the buffer stock agency that is funded by the government will buy in the wheat (which is called the buffer stock) and when the free market price goes above the intervention price, they will resell the wheat and therefore push down the price down to the intervention price.

Fig. 1) Minimum Price for Wheat

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