Milling & Baking News - April 22, 2008 - 67

Ingredient Week

Bakery Flour

Bookings of bakery flour were limited
last week. Price changes were minor in
pan bread flour and soft flour through
midweek, but prices tumbled in those
markets on Friday. Spring standard patent prices plunged $2.60 a cwt.
With spring planting under way, Minneapolis wheat futures trended lower.
In contrast, Chicago wheat futures were
stronger and Kansas City contracts registered relatively narrow changes. While
the cash basis on hard red winter wheat
was stronger as mills were especially
attentive to keeping pipelines filled in
view of slower-than-average progress in
the new crop, cash spring wheat premiums extended their steep slide. Mill bids
on soft red winter wheat were low but
offers were lacking at the bid levels suggesting a temporary floor.
Business completed during the week
mostly involved filling gaps in AprilJune coverage. Very little business developed for new crop. Most bakers and
other wheat buyers held off in the hope
pricing would be more attractive as the
growing season progresses. Old crop
coverage was estimated at around 75%
completed, and new crop coverage was
estimated at 25%.
Cookie-cracker and specialty bakers
met in Savannah, Ga., during the annual
meeting of the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturers Association. Soft flour users
could afford to relax as they enjoyed
more extensive coverage than the bread
bakers and the soft red winter wheat

Bakery flour

crop in 2008 was expected to be the largest in years. Some voiced worries about
the possible adverse effect on crop quality should the long-standing wet weather
pattern extend into the summer.
Grind was unusually light. Mills across
the Southwest ran five days, Upper Midwest units ran 5 to 5½ and Northeast operated four to 4½. Central states mills ran
five days as did Southeast mills while
California units operated five to 5½ and
Pacific Northwest units ran five days. MBN

Sales of national and regional brands of
family flour were seasonally sluggish last
week. Carlot list prices were unchanged.
Seasonal doldrums were evident.
Shipments were expected to be routine
until demand picks up ahead of the start
of the 2008-09 school year. Manufacturers were in discussions with customers
about marketing plans for the fall.
Most major buyers of private label
flour were booked through old crop but
were awaiting market developments before committing to new crop contracts.
Some smaller outlets, eager to avoid the
drama of spring and summer weather
markets, recently contracted supply to
last them through the end of the year.
Packaging lines ran four to five days. MBN

The price of choice milling hard amber
durum in Minneapolis was $18 a bu, unchanged from a week earlier and down
$8.50 a bu from mid-February highs.
Forward coverage was much more extensive than is typical for the date. One
miller indicated most of his customers
were covered through September. Another said half his trade was covered
through September with the remainder
holding coverage through July. The ample business on the books ensured there
was no sense of urgency in the market.
New crop semolina was offered based on
a durum price $2 lower than that asked
for nearby supply.
Durum planting began in North Dakota. The U.S. Department of Agriculture indicated 3% of the state's prospective durum area was seeded by April
13 compared with 0% last year around
the same date and with 2% as the recent five-year average progress. Dry
conditions in western North Dakota
enabled growers to make an early start
to planting. Producers hoped for good
rain after planting to promote germination and plant growth. Meanwhile, the
desert crop was progressing well. The
U.S.D.A. indicated the Arizona crop
was 50% heading.
Durum grind averaged five days. MBN

Semolina

Bulk, f.o.b. car, $ per cwt

Family Flour

Bookings of semolina, granulars and
durum flour were limited last week.
Prices dropped in response to higher
millfeed values.

Bakers standard, Kansas City

No. 1 hard amber durum

Bulk, f.o.b. car, $ per cwt

Track, Minneapolis
- Change from - Year
- Change from - Year $ per bu
April 18 April 11 April 4 ago
April 18 April 11 April 4 ago Choice milling 13% 18.00
-
-1.00 6.50
Kansas City
cents per bu
Bakers short patent
25.75
-0.60
-2.65 14.60 Amber discount
10.00
-
-
10.00
Bakers standard patent 25.65
-0.60
-2.65 14.50 Durum discount
10@40
-
- 10@40
Second clear
13.00
-
-
7.00 Puffing premium
0
-
-
0.00
Third clear
5.80
-
-
5.80
Semolina
Minneapolis
Spring short patent
27.80
-2.60
-7.15 13.95 Bulk, f.o.b. Minneapolis, $ per cwt
- Change from - Year
Spring standard patent 27.70
-2.60
-7.15 13.85
April 18 April 11 April 4
ago
High gluten
31.70
-2.60
-7.15 16.85
44.00
-.50
-3.15
16.95
Whole wheat
27.70
-2.60
-7.15 13.85 Semolina
43.80
-.50
-3.15
16.75
Specialty whole wheat 28.05
-2.60
-7.15 14.20 Granulars
43.70
-.50
-3.15
16.65
Fancy spring clear
27.55
-2.60
-7.15 13.70 Flour
34.10
-
-
13.40
First spring clear
27.45
-2.60
-7.15 13.60 First clear
-
-
8.55
Rye, white
50.75
-0.75
-0.95 11.70 Second clear 12.10
Semolina - N.Y. 46.40
-.50
-3.15
19.25
Chicago
Cracker
20.40
-1.20
-3.15 12.95
Nationally advertised family flour
Fancy cake
21.90
-1.20
-3.15 14.45
Dollars
New York
April 18
Year ago
Winter/spring blend
28.15
-0.60
-2.65 17.00
Family patent, 2-25s papers 22.50
15.36
Spring standard patent 30.20
-2.25
-7.00 15.85
4-10s
18.24
13.00
High gluten
34.20
-2.25
-7.00 18.85
8-5s
18.40
13.36
Fancy cake
23.90
-1.20
-3.15 16.45
18-2s
21.76
15.66
Rye, white
53.25
-0.75
-0.95 14.20
Self-rising
+88c per bale +88c per bale
Los Angeles
Bakers standard patent 27.55
-0.95
-2.75 16.00
Pastry
33.15
-0.15
-0.05 17.05
68 / April 22, 2008

Milling & Baking News

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

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

bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

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Milling & Baking News - April 22, 2008

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