Then in June the CBOT added Short-Dated New-Crop Options on corn, soybeans and wheat. These puts and calls on new-crop futures expire much earlier than regular new-crop options, and are more affordable as a result — all else equal. Short-Dated calls on new-crop corn could be paired with a farmer’s forward sale ahead of a major crop report, for example. This could make producers more confident of protecting good prices instead of waiting for even higher prices, and in time could tie in with certain crop insurance products. Feedlots might buy short-dated options to temporarily protect forward feed needs, or ethanol plants could lock in minimum conversion margins.

Example: