Milling & Baking News - June 28, 2011 - 9

In Minot, durum mill escaping ﬂoods, grain facilities are not

similarly affected, but has been emptied already. A separate downtown location has been emptied of grain as well and already is being flooded. “ She said it was uncertain how Early on June 23, the Advanced MINOT, N.D. — Record flooding that began to strike the city of Minot last Hydrologic Prediction Service of the long the affected facilities will be week appeared unlikely to severely National Weather Service observed inoperable. While the mill is safe, Mr. Schulz said affect a durum mill located there, but a waters at 1,555.7 feet, 6.7 feet major evacuation of seed was required above flood stage. The N.W.S. was several of its 32 employees have been at a grain business with locations forecasting an additional 7 feet of affected. A major scramble has been under way in the city by residents spread across the city. to empty belongings from homes Minot Milling, a division of expected to be hit by the flooding. Philadelphia Macaroni Co., was “I’m exhausted,” Mr. Schulz “high and dry,” Kevin W. Schulz, said. “We have employees who a facility manager there, said last have had to evacuate. It’s a week. complete mess. The dikes are “The mill is fine,” he said on breaking one at a time, and it’s June 22. “We may lose water, going to get messier.” but for the time being we are In recent years, Minot has continuing to run.” enjoyed a renaissance because of Rail service also may become an oil boom in North Dakota, but more limited for a time because for generations the city has been of the flooding, requiring some refamiliar in grain-based foods as the routing and causing some delays, epicenter of U.S. durum country. Mr. Schulz said. “The climate is ideal for durum Minot Milling operates a mill with 8,800 cwts of daily milling Pickup trucks were used to help remove seed from a production around here,” said Keith Deutsch, president of the capacity in Minot. The facility SunPrairie facility, in anticipation of late June ﬂooding. United States Durum Growers was built in 1998. Association. Poor weather this Not as well physically situated for flooding is SunPrairie Grain, Inc., flooding by early the week of June 25, year reduced acreage, he said. Minot for decades has been the owned by CHS Inc. SunPrairie operates easily eclipsing the previous record site of the annual Crop Outlook in eight towns in North Dakota. In the flood levels of 1,558 feet in 1881. Offering an update on June 23, Lani and International Durum Forum. Minot area the business has five different locations. In recent days the company Jordan, communications director for Scheduled for Nov. 8 this year, Mr. has moved to empty its seed inventories CHS, said SunPrairie was continuing Deutsch said he expects the meeting to be held this year. its work, even as the flooding began. in anticipation of the flooding. As of June 23, The Holiday Inn “They are continuing to transfer Also in anticipation of the flooding, a mandatory evacuation was ordered grain from their main facility to an Riverside, where the meeting is June 21 for all residents in a large alternate location out of the flood zone scheduled to be conducted, has been zone encompassing a major swath and hope to finish today, although evacuated but had not yet flooded, of northern Minot. Sirens sounded the water continues to rise,” she said. according to employees at another the following day as levees began to “Projected crest would submerge the nearby Holiday Inn. MBN fail. The city, located in north central office there and put up to 15 feet of North Dakota, has a population of water in the plant. “The seed plant at the facility is Viterra acquires certain assets approximately 42,000.

of Premier Pulses International

Yamazaki Baking indicated to be planning product line rationalization
TOKYO — Yamazaki Baking Co., Japan’s largest baking company, is cutting in half the number of items it produces, and instead is focusing on its best-selling products, according to an article in The Daily Yomiuri. The move, which will cut the number of products Yamazaki bakes to less than 1,000 from more than 1,800, comes in the wake of the earthquake earlier this year in Japan. Since the earthquake, Yamazaki has shifted focus toward optimizing production efficiency, said The Daily Yomiuri. Yamazaki Baking makes more than a dozen major brands of sliced bread, but production output declined following the March 11 earthquake. To improve production output, The Daily Yomiuri noted that Yamazaki has reduced the number of products it makes, and at one point the company was producing only 200 items, a figure that has since recovered to more than 800. Yamazaki has decided to continue streamlining its overall product line to cut costs as prices of flour and other raw materials remain relatively high. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

CALGARY, ALTA. — Viterra Inc. has acquired substantially all the assets and inventory of Premier Pulses International Inc., a processor and merchandiser of peas and lentils with a facility in Minot, N.D., and a marketing office in Lewiston, Idaho. The Minot facility, which is outside the flood zone, offers pulse cleaning and processing services and a finished product warehouse where a variety of locally sourced peas and lentils are stored, processed, bagged and shipped to destination customers worldwide. “Premier Pulses is an excellent fit for our North American grain operations, as it is located in the primary pea and lentil growing regions in the northern U.S.,” said Bob Miller, senior vice-president of Grain North America for Viterra. MBN
Milling & Baking News June 28, 2011 / 9

SUNPRAIRIE GRAIN

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Milling & Baking News - June 28, 2011

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