4 The Better Agriculture Group (BAG), which has a divisional structure, produces a range o

Question

4 The Better Agriculture Group (BAG), which has a divisional structure, produces a range of products for the farming

industry. Divisions B and C are two of its divisions. Division B sells a fertiliser product (BF) to customers external to

BAG. Division C produces a chemical (CC) which it could transfer to Division B for use in the manufacture of its

product BF. However, Division C could also sell some of its output of chemical CC to external customers of BAG.

An independent external supplier to The Better Agriculture Group has offered to supply Division B with a chemical

which is equivalent to component CC. The independent supplier has a maximum spare capacity of 60,000 kilograms

of the chemical which it is willing to make available (in total or in part) to Division B at a special price of $55 per

kilogram.

Forecast information for the forthcoming period is as follows:

Division B:

Production and sales of 360,000 litres of BF at a selling price of $120 per litre.

Variable conversion costs of BF will amount to $15 per litre.

Fixed costs are estimated at $18,000,000.

Chemical (CC) is used at the rate of 1 kilogram of CC per 4 litres of product BF.

Division C:

Total production capacity of 100,000 kilograms of chemical CC.

Variable costs will be $50 per kilogram of CC.

Fixed costs are estimated at $2,000,000.

Market research suggests that external customers of BAG are willing to take up sales of 40,000 kilograms of CC at a

price of $105 per kilogram. The remaining 60,000 kilograms of CC could be transferred to Division B for use in

product BF. Currently no other market external to BAG is available for the 60,000 kilograms of CC.

Required:

(a) (i) State the price/prices per kilogram at which Division C should offer to transfer chemical CC to Division

B in order that the maximisation of BAG profit would occur if Division B management implement rational

sourcing decisions based on purely financial grounds.

Note: you should explain the basis on which Division B would make its decision using the information

available, incorporating details of all relevant calculations. (6 marks)

Answer 1

正确答案：
(a) (i) In order to facilitate BAG profit maximising decisions the following strategy should apply:
Division C should offer to transfer chemical CC to Division B at marginal cost plus opportunity cost. This would apply
as follows:
– 40,000 kilograms of CC at $105 per kilogram since this is the price that could be achieved from sales to external
customers of BAG.
– 60,000 kilograms of CC at marginal cost of $50 per kilogram since no alternative opportunity exists.
Division B has a sales forecast of 360,000 litres of product BF. This will require 360,000/4 = 90,000 kilograms of
chemical CC input.
Based on the pricing by Division C indicated above, Division B would choose to purchase 60,000 kilograms of CC from
Division C at $50 per kilogram, since this is less than the $55 per kilogram quoted by the independent supplier.
Division B would purchase its remaining requirement for 30,000 kilograms of CC from the independent supplier at $55
per kilogram since this is less than the $105 per kilogram at which Division C would offer to transfer its remaining output
– given that it can sell the residual output to external customers of BAG.