Supply is of the scarce goods. It is the amount of a commodity that sellers are able and willing to offer for sale at different prices per unit of time. In the words of Meyer “Supply is a schedule of the amount of a good that would be offered for sale at all possible prices at any period of time; e.g., a day, a week, and so on”.
Distinction between Supply and Stock. Here, it seems necessary that the meaning of the term “supply” and “stock” may be made clear as they are often confused by the readers. “Supply” refers to that quantity of the commodity which is actually brought into the market for sale at a given price per unit of time. While “stock” is meant the total quantity of a commodity which exists in a market and can be offered for sale at a short notice.
The supply and stock of a commodity in the market may or may not be equal. If the commodity is perishable, (Ike vegetables, fruits, fish, etc., and then the supply and the stock is generally the same. But in case of a product which is storable, the position is quite different. If the producer finds that the price of his product is low as compared to its cost of production, he tries to withhold the entire or a part of the stock. In case of a favorable price, the producer may dispose off larger quantities or the entire stock of his commodity; it will all depend upon his own valuation of the commodity at that particular time.
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