2018 Agricultural Commodity Futures Conference

Protecting America's Agricultural Markets: An Agricultural Commodity Futures Conference

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Center for Risk Management Education and Research at Kansas State University will jointly host, “Protecting America’s Agricultural Markets: An Agricultural Commodity Futures Conference,” on April 5 – 6, 2018, in Overland Park, Kansas. This first-of-its-kind conference will include robust presentations and discussions on current macro-economic trends and issues affecting American agricultural futures markets and the importance of these markets for managing risk and protecting participants from manipulation, fraud, and other unlawful activities.‎

“It is both fitting and appropriate to hold our first conference focused on derivatives-markets issues impacting the agricultural community in America’s Heartland. I look forward to this opportunity to join our partner, Kansas State University, to learn more about these vitally important issues and listen to the concerns of this community,” said CFTC Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo. “One of our main priorities at the CFTC is to ensure regulatory barriers do not stand in the way of long standing hedging practices of American farmers and ranchers, who depend on our markets.”

“Kansas State University is pleased to partner with CFTC on this important and timely conference addressing issues affecting market performance, as well as the value of our commodity futures markets in managing risk,” said Dr. John Floros, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Director of Kansas State University Research and Extension. “This conference complements our Land Grant Mission and Global Food Systems initiative by advancing knowledge discovery and dissemination to the agricultural community. The need to effectively manage risk in commodity markets has never been greater, and this conference provides a forum for open dialogue about critical futures market issues.”

Date

Thursday, April 5, 2018 1:00 p.m. - Friday, April 6, 2018 2:00 p.m. (CT)

Location

Overland Park, Kansas

Registration is closed. Conference is at capacity.

No registration refunds after April 3, 2018

Program

Thursday, April 5

12:00 p.m.	Registration Opens
1:00 - 1:10 p.m.	Conference Overview The Honorable J. Christopher Giancarlo, Chairman Commodity Futures Trading Commission
1:10 - 1:20 p.m.	Welcome Remarks Dr. John Floros, Dean, Kansas State University College of Agriculture and Director, Kansas State University Research and Extension
1:20 - 1:40 p.m.	Keynote The Honorable Pat Roberts, U.S. Senator, Kansas, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee
1:40 - 3:25 p.m.	Irrational Exuberants, Liquidity Providers, or Both? The Role of Speculators in the Futures Markets Moderator: Warren Preston, Deputy Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture Academic Researcher: Aaron Smith, Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis View Presentation Read Publication Panelists: Raymond P. H. (Pat) Fishe, Professor Distinguished Chair in Finance, University of Richmond; Consultant, Office of the Chief Economist, Commodity Futures Trading Commission View Presentation David Lehman, Managing Director of Research and Product Development, CME Group View Presentation Mike O’Dea, Risk Management Consultant, INTL FCStone, Inc. Mykel Taylor, Associate Professor, Kansas State University View Presentation
3:25 - 3:45 p.m.	Break
3:45 - 5:30 p.m.	How High Frequency Trading Has Changed the Game Moderator: Chuck Marvine, Regional Administrator and Deputy Director, Division of Enforcement, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Academic Researcher: Charles Jones, Robert W. Lear Professor of Finance and Economics, Senior Vice Dean, Columbia Business School View Presentation Panelists: John Michael Huth, Chief Operating Officer, QUANTLAB Financial, LLC David Meister, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Esen Onur, Economist, Office of the Chief Economist, Commodity Futures Trading Commission View Presentation Ed Prosser, Vice President of Agriculture Trading, The Gavilon Group, LLC
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.	Social- Cottonwood Ballroom corridor
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.	Pre-Dinner Discussion Daniel Gorfine, Director, LabCFTC Commodity Futures Trading Commission Topic: The Intersection of Blockchain Technology and Agriculture View Presentation Dinner with Special Guest Speaker The Honorable William Northey, Under Secretary Farm Programs and Conservation Mission Area U.S. Department of Agriculture

Friday, April 6

7:15 - 7:45 a.m.	Continental Breakfast and Market Update Andy Busch, Chief Market Intelligence Officer Commodity Futures Trading Commission
7:45 - 8:00 a.m.	Keynote The Honorable Jerry Moran, U.S. Senator, Kansas
8:00 - 9:45 a.m.	A Different Animal: Futures Contract Design, Hedging Effectiveness, and Transparency in Thinly Traded Cash Markets for Cattle and Hogs Moderator: Randy Blach, Chief Executive Officer, CattleFax Academic Researchers: Ted Schroeder, University Distinguished Professor, Director Center for Risk Management Education and Research, Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University Glynn Tonsor, Professor and Extension Specialist, Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University View Presentation Read Publication Panelists: Joe Kovanda, Vice President, Bartlett Cattle Co. View Presentation Christa Lachenmayr, Economist, Division of Market Oversight, Commodity Futures Trading Commission View Presentation Jordan Levi, Managing Member, Arcadia Asset Management, LLC View Presentation Steve Meyer, Economist, Kerns and Associates View Presentation
9:45 - 10:00 a.m.	Break
10:00 - 11:45 a.m.	Trilogy for Troubleshooting Convergence: Manipulation, Structural Imbalance, and Storage Rates Moderator: Todd Kemp, Senior Vice President, National Grain and Feed Association Academic Researcher: Scott Irwin, Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois View Presentation Read Publication Panelists Patrick Coyle, Commodity Manager, COFCO International Neal Driscoll, Agriculture Portfolio Manager, Citadel View Presentation Pat Hillegass, Futures Trader Gene Kunda, Market Analyst, Division of Market Oversight, Commodity Futures Trading Commission View Presentation
11:45 - 12:45 p.m.	Lunch The Honorable Brian Quintenz, Commissioner Commodity Futures Trading Commission
12:45 - 1:45 p.m.	Division of Market Oversight Presents: Protecting Customers Through Oversight of Agricultural Futures Contracts Moderator: Daniel O'Brien, Extension Agricultural Economist, Kansas State University Panelists from the CFTC's Division of Market Oversight: Dave Amato, Supervisory Market Analyst Gene Kunda, Market Analyst Christa Lachenmayr, Economist Rahul Varma, Acting Deputy Director
1:45 - 2:00 p.m.	Concluding Remarks The Honorable J. Christopher Giancarlo, Chairman Commodity Futures Trading Commission

AgCon2018 is being presented by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Center for Risk Management Education and Research at Kansas State University

Press Inquiries, Contact

Donna Faulk-White | CFTC
DFaulk-White@CFTC.gov

Jennifer Merrill | Kansas State University
jlmerrill@ksu.edu

Questions, Contact

Jennifer Merrill | Managing Director
Center for Risk Management Education & Research | Kansas State University
jlmerrill@ksu.edu | (785) 532-4075

Kansas State University

Center for Risk Management Education and Research