Question

Price floors and price supports set a minimum price below which a good or service cannot be sold. Minimum wage laws and agricultural price supports are common examples of such price controls. When price floors are used to keep prices above free-market levels in the agricultural industry, which of the following outcomes are common? Check all that apply.
A. Overinvestment in the agricultural industryB. A decrease in the future supply of agricultural goodsC. A surplus of agricultural goodsD. A problem of disposal of surplus agricultural goods

Answer 1

Answer:

C. A surplus of agricultural goods

Explanation:

Un-intervened markets are at equilibrium where Market Demand = Market Supply. Market Supply curve is upward sloping, due to price - supply direct relationship. Market demand curve is downward sloping, due to price - demand inverse relationship. Both curves intersect at equilibrium.

Price floor is minimum mandated price by government, below which a good cant be sold in the markets. It is usually set above market price, to protect the interest of sellers. Eg : Minimum Support price, of agricultural goods, set for protecting interests of sellers (farmers) from volatile prices.

This mandate set artificially high price : leads to supply being more than demand, as supply is directly & demand is inversely related to price. So, supply > demand implies that agricultural goods are at surplus in markets.