Release: #3883-95

For Release: December 12, 1995

CFTC ANNOUNCES PANELISTS FOR

AGRICULTURAL TRADE OPTIONS ROUNDTABLE

Washington D.C. -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the list of panelists who will participate in the agency's December 19 public roundtable discussion concerning the current prohibition on the offer or sale of "trade options" on agricultural commodities. The meeting will be held in the Commission's hearing room, located at Room 1000, Lobby Level, Three Lafayette Center, 1155 21st Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., from 2:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M., Tuesday, December 19, 1995.

The discussion is intended to bring together a diverse group of commodity option and agricultural experts, regulators, academics and market users to discuss the pros and cons of lifting or retaining the agricultural trade options ban. The panelists, who were selected to represent a cross-section of those interested in this issue, will include:

Category Organization Individual
Exchange CBT Mark Young, Ann Berg
Exchange CME Paul Peterson
Int. Broker Nat'l Introducing Broker Ass'n. Paul Georgy
Int. Broker Frank Beurskens
Int. Broker Lee D. Amundson
Producer Am. Farm Bureau Fed. David Miller
Producer Nat'l Cattlemen's Ass'n Jon Ferguson
Producer Nat'l Corn Growers Rod Gangwish
Producer Iowa Corn Growers William J. Horan
Merchandiser Nat'l Grain Trade Council Jerry L. Osborne
Merchandiser Nat'l Grain & Feed Diana Klemme
Agribusiness Koch Industries Ron Eliason
Banker Hale County State Bank Richard Kimbrough
Academic Kansas State Univ. Art Barnaby, Jr.
Academic Univ. of Chicago Craig Pirrong

The Commission also welcomes written submissions for inclusion in the official record concerning this issue. Written submissions received by December 13, will be made available at the time of the meeting.

The meeting will be open to the public. For further information, see CFTC News Release No. 3878-95, of November 8, 1995, or contact the Commission's Office of Public Affairs at (202) 418-5080.