From 2005 to 2008, high volatility in the markets affected grain prices
significantly. This high volatility in grain prices made many researchers
curious, and many discussions aroused from this topic. This study analyzes
wheat price behavior during this period of high volatility. We estimate a
return index for wheat using spot and futures wheat prices with the help of
a present value model. To analyze the cointegration between the wheat prices
and return index, a new co-integration test with multiple structural breaks,
developed by Daiki Maki (2012), is used. The long-run cointegration
coefficients are estimated using the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares
methodology. The empirical results show that there is cointegration between
the spot and futures wheat prices, which tends to change at breakpoints. In
other words, there is an equilibrium relation between spot prices and
futures prices; however, it becomes unstable during the crisis in 2008. The
results may help in understanding the dynamics of wheat prices, especially
during high-volatility periods.