For most people involved in the production and trading of“soft" or agricultural commodities,this is proving to be a grim decade.
Prices are in many cases at,or near,historic lows in real terms as markets struggle to cope with floods of surplus produce. And-with most soothsayers forecasting flat, or still lower, prices-the markets themselves have lost much of their allure.
Speculators who profited handsomely from the price volatility of the 1970s have deserted soft commodities for the newer excitement of financial futures or the security and big yields afforded by the equity and money markets.
What does "flat" mean?
【正确答案】："Flat" implies that the prices are inactive remaining at the same level.
