Tulip growing is a perfectly competitive industry, and all tulip growers have the same cost curves. The market price of tulips is $25 a bunch, and each grower maximizes profit by producing 2,000 bunches a week. The average total cost of producing tulips is $20 a bunch, and the average variable cost is $15 a bunch. Minimum average variable cost is $12 a bunch.
Draw a graph representing a tulip grower’s short-run cost curves (ATC, AVC, and MC curves). On the vertical axis, label the $25.00 price, average total cost ($20.00) and average variable cost ($15.00) of producing 2,000 tulips, and the lowest possible average variable cost of $12.00.
a. What is the economic profit that each tulip grower is making in the short run? Please show your calculations.
b. What is the lowest price at which the tulip grower will produce (instead of shutting down)?
c. What is each grower’s profit at the shutdown point?
d. At a price of $25.00 per bunch, would we expect entry or exit in the long run?
