Agriculture & livestock
What is the Corn (ZC) futures contract and what physical bushel volume represents a single unit?
By Easy Money Scanner · Educational reference · Not investment advice
The short answer
The CME Corn (ZC) futures contract represents 5,000 bushels of corn per contract, priced in cents per bushel, used by farmers, processors, and traders to hedge or speculate on corn prices.
How it works
ZC is traded on the CBOT, with delivery based on grading standards and specified delivery locations along major grain transportation corridors in the US Midwest.
An example
A farmer expecting to harvest 50,000 bushels of corn sells 10 ZC contracts to lock in a sale price months before harvest.
Risk & limitations
Basis risk between local cash corn prices and the CBOT futures price can cause hedges to deviate from actual farm-gate pricing realized.
Examples are hypothetical, not trade recommendations. US contract and regulatory references do not automatically apply in Canada. Rules, margin requirements and broker policies can change; confirm them with the relevant authority and your broker.