Question

The U.S. Department of Agriculture guarantees dairy producers that they will receive at least $1.00 per pound of butter they supply to the market. Below is the current monthly demand and supply schedule for wholesale butter (in millions of pounds per month). Wholesale Butter Market Price (dollars per pound) Quantity of Butter Demanded (millions of pounds) Quantity of Butter Supplied (millions of pounds) $0.80 107 63 0.90 104 71 1.00 101 79 1.10 98 87 1.20 95 95 1.30 92 103 1.40 89 111 1.50 86 119 1.60 83 127 1.70 80 135 1.80 77 143 a. In the butter market, the monthly equilibrium quantity is million pounds and the equilibrium price is $ per pound. b. What is the monthly surplus created in the wholesale butter market due to the price support (price floor) program?

Answer 1

Answer:

a) he equilibrum quantity is 95 million pounds of butter and the equilbrum price is $1.20 per pound. At this level, both demand and supply is 95 million.

b) 0 or no surplus.

Explanation:

The question is in three parts

a) a. In the butter market, the monthly equilibrium quantity is million pounds and the equilibrium price is $ per pound

The equilibrum price and quantity refers to that point in sales where the quantity demanded = the quantity supplied.

Looking at the schedule, the equilibrum quantity is 95 million pounds of butter and the equilbrum price is $1.20 per pound. At this level, both demand and supply is 95 million.

b) What is the monthly surplus created in the wholesale butter market due to the price support (price floor) program?

First, what is the price floor fixed by the government = $1.00 per pound and at this rate, the demanded quantity is 101 million and the quantity supplied is 79 million pounds.

Hence, the monthly surplus = 79 million pounds - 101 million pounds = -22 million pounds

At this price, there is no surplus