Milling & Baking News - August 6, 2013 - 38

Ingredient Week 

Bakery Flour
Activity in bakery flour markets
slowed from the previous couple of
weeks, but bakers continued to fill gaps
in August-September coverage and covered at least components of prospective
flour bookings for the fourth quarter and
even January-March 2014. Price changes
were mixed. Standing out was a hike in
soft flour prices as mill bids on soft red
winter wheat were raised in large part because of subpar quality in some key areas.
Pan bread bakers were the most active last week. They filled gaps in August-September coverage and covered
millfeed credits for the fourth quarter
and for January-March. The latter activity was not as heavy as in the previous
couple of weeks, but bakers were concerned given current favorable growing conditions for what was forecast
to be a record corn crop, a weakening
corn market might further depress deferred millfeed values and provide upward pressure to flour pricing in coming
weeks. Some bread bakers also were said
to have booked deferred basis while others covered the futures component of
prospective flour transactions.
Spring grade users were less active
than bakers using flour milled from
100% hard red winter wheat. This was
typical for the time of year as spring
grade users awaited hoped-for harvest
pressure.
Cookie-cracker and specialty bakers
mostly held back chagrined with the escalating cash basis on soft red winter wheat.

Bakery ﬂour

Family Flour
Sales of national and regional brands
of family flour were seasonally sluggish
last week. Carlot list prices were
unchanged.
The summer doldrums prevailed in
family flour markets. Some southeastern
grocers sought to spur some business by
offering certain regional brands at near
baking season discounts, e.g., two 5-lb
bags were offered at $5.
In the market for private label flour,
most grocers and other buyers earlier
booked supply to carry them through
September, and a few had coverage for
the baking season. But most held back
from covering the bulk of their OctoberDecember flour needs in the hope prices
may weaken in coming weeks. MBN

Semolina
Bookings of semolina, granulars and
durum flour were light last week. Prices
edged lower.
The price of choice milling hard amber
durum quoted as a delivered Chicago/
beyond value was $9.85 a bu, down 15c
from the previous week, down $1.25
from the recent high scored in June

and the lowest since mid-April. Prices
in the spring escalated amid concerns
excessively wet weather might result in
many acres intended for durum going
unplanted. While the wet weather did
cut into acreage, growing conditions
have been favorable for the durum that
was planted across the northern Plains.
Also, Canadian planting went well,
and the availability of Canadian supply
gradually helped pressure U.S. prices
lower.
Pasta manufacturers earlier booked
nearly all of their semolina needs
through September. October-December
semolina coverage was estimated at
around 30%. The market lost its inverse
and pricing was flat from the nearby
through December.
North Dakota durum wheat headed by
July 28 was 91%, behind last year’s 100%
but ahead of 84% as the average for the
date, according to the state’s U.S.D.A.
field office. Turning color was 20% of the
crop, behind 68% last year and 28% as the
average for the date. The crop was rated
79% good to excellent, 19% fair and 2%
poor. Montana durum was 14% turning
color compared with 42% a year earlier
and 30% as the average for the date. Rated
good to excellent was 46% of Montana
durum (65% a week earlier) compared
with 53% as the average for date. MBN

Bakers standard, Kansas City
Bulk, f.o.b. car, $ per cwt

$23.00
$21.00
$19.00

No. 1 hard amber durum

Bulk, f.o.b. car, $ per cwt
Aug. 2
Kansas City
Bakers short patent
Bakers standard patent
Second clear
Third clear
Minneapolis
Spring short patent
Spring standard patent
High gluten
Whole wheat
Specialty whole wheat
Fancy spring clear
First spring clear
Rye, white
Chicago
Cracker
Fancy cake
New York
Winter/spring blend
Spring standard patent
High gluten
Fancy cake
Rye, white
Los Angeles
Bakers standard patent
Pastry

Bread bakers’ commitments to JulySeptember flour bookings (including
flat coverage as well as coverage of one
or more contract components) were estimated at about 85% of the potential.
Commitment to fourth-quarter contracts
was estimated at around 20% compared
with about 50% a year ago. MBN

19.05
18.95
14.00
…

Track, Minneapolis
— Change from — Year $ per bu
July 26 July 19 ago Choice milling 13%
cents per bu
0.05
0.05 19.25 Amber discount
0.05
0.05 19.15 Durum discount
—
— 14.00 Pufﬁng premium
...
...
…

Aug. 2
9.55

$17.00

— Change from — Year
July 26 July 19 ago
-.15
-.15 10.50

$15.00
A

F
Previous Year

10.00
10@40
0

—
—
—

10.00
10@40
0

M
Current Year

Spring standard, Minneapolis
Bulk, f.o.b. car, $ per cwt
$26.00

Semolina

17.15
17.05
20.05
17.05
17.40
16.90
16.80
22.65

-0.50
-0.50
-0.50
-0.50
-0.50
-0.50
-0.50
—

-0.55
-0.55
-0.55
-0.55
-0.55
-0.55
-0.55
0.15

18.40
18.30
21.30
18.30
18.65
18.15
18.05
18.30

Bulk, f.o.b. Minneapolis, $ per cwt
— Change from —
Aug. 2
July 26 July 19
Semolina
22.80
-.35
-.30
Granulars
22.60
-.35
-.30
Flour
22.50
-.35
-.30
First clear
17.55
—
+.05
Second clear 13.50
—
+.50
Semolina - N.Y. 25.50
-.35
-.30

15.95
17.45

0.60
0.60

0.35
0.35

18.15
19.65

Nationally advertised family ﬂour

21.45
20.45
23.45
19.45
25.15

0.05
-0.45
-0.45
0.60
—

0.05
-0.35
-0.35
0.35
0.15

21.65
21.35
24.35
21.65
20.80

24.95
24.00

0.05
0.05

25.15
23.80

38 / August 6, 2013 Milling & Baking News

$23.00

Year
ago
23.20
23.00
22.90
17.50
13.00
25.90

$20.00
$17.00
A

F
Previous Year

M
Current Year

Cracker ﬂour, Chicago
Bulk, f.o.b. car, $ per cwt
$22.00

Dollars
Aug. 2
Family patent, 2-25s papers 24.12
4-10s
n.a.
8-5s
18.52
18-2s
20.64
Self-rising
n.a.

Year ago
24.12
n.a.
18.62
20.64
n.a.

$20.00
$18.00
$16.00
$14.00
$12.00
A

F
Previous Year

M
Current Year

bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - August 6, 2013

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