Milling & Baking News - June 3, 2008 - 4

Contents

June 3, 2008 Vol. 86, No. 33

NEWS FEATURE

NEWS Comment

Story on Page 1

Conservation reserve
changes offer
scant aid to baking

Executive Strategies:
Purchasing
A passion that's in his blood

9

Industry hopeful, cautious
on winter wheat

Industry executives express optimism about
the winter wheat crop as combining accelerates.
Hot weather should help in Oklahoma, but
dryness could affect yield in western Kansas.

The 2007 farm bill:
better late than never?
Story on Page 40

DEPARTMENTS
7 Editorial
9, 14 Business
12 Financial Results
16 People
18 Data
28 Industry Activities
30 Export and Trade Issues
38, 41 Washington
40 Regulatory Affairs
44 Supplier Innovations
47 Ingredient Week Trends
62 Archive

14

In-house bakery
boosts Spicy Pickle

A new corporate baking facility in Denver will
improve baked foods at Spicy Pickle restaurants,
according to the company, which owns 38
restaurants and plans to open 125 more.

18

States show flour
production gains

Increases in mill running time by states in
2007 surpass the number of decreases by state.
Production gains in states and state-groups run
as high as in excess of 11 percentage points.

38

U.S.D.A. opens 24
million C.R.P. acres

The U.S. Department of Agriculture makes
available 65% of the acres enrolled in the
Conservation Reserve Program for livestock
feeding. A cattlemen's association says more
relief is needed.

41

Farm bill enactment
reauthorizes C.F.T.C.

Congress reauthorizes the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission through 2013
and provides the agency additional regulatory
and enforcement tools to oversee the futures
industry.

It's difficult for grain-based foods to see
more than an infinitesimal benefit from
the decision last week by the Department
of Agriculture to open up the conservation
reserve to cattle grazing and hay cutting.
Designed specifically to expand feed
supplies to offer relief to livestock producers,
the program is meant to lessen pressure
on corn prices, which reached records last
month. Of course, an easing in corn is felt in
a wheat market that already was reacting
to the start of harvesting.
This program change was undertaken in
the wake of vigorous debating within the
U.S.D.A. over steps to respond to soaring
food prices and to pleadings by various
food industry sectors. No one has been
more vigorous than baking. That livestock
growers were singled out for relief probably
speaks more to their political clout than
where action appeared prudent.
Not only did Ed Schafer, the Agriculture
Secretary, neglect the pleadings of food
manufacturers like bakers, he once
more declared that no change will be
made in 2008 acreage provisions. He
didn't totally rule out the possibility of
some opting out for next year, saying
this decision will be made by summer's
end. This leaves room for hope - albeit
limited - that acreage could be released
for production in 2009. Disappointment
with the steps just announced must not
stand in the way of aggressive pleadings
for the government to recognize what its
stubbornness is costing both bakers and
American consumers. MBN

COMPANIES IN THIS ISSUE
ADM Milling Co................................... 10

Flowers Foods, Inc. .............................1, 8

MGP Ingredients, Inc. .......................... 44

Archer Daniels Midland Co.................. 44

General Mills, Inc. ............................... 16

Penford Food Ingredients .................... 44

Bindicator ........................................... 44

Great Western Manufacturing ............. 44

Rudi's Organic Bakery ......................... 10

Campbell Soup Co. .............................. 12

Interstate Bakeries Corp. ..................... 10

Snyder's of Hanover .............................. 1

Cargill ................................................. 16

The Kellogg Co. ..................................... 8

Spicy Pickle ......................................... 14

Danisco ............................................... 44

Kraft Foods Inc. ..................................... 8

Suncue Co. Ltd. ................................... 44

4 / June 3, 2008

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Milling & Baking News - June 3, 2008

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