Milling & Baking News - November 29, 2005 - 32

I N G R E D I E N T

W E E K

 Bakery Flour

Bookings of bakery flour were brisk
last week. While most activity involved
filling gaps in December coverage,
additional ownership was put on for
January-March. Several bakers took futures coverage against prospective flour
bookings not only through the first
quarter of 2006 but even through May.
Pan bread bakers filled gaps in December and January coverage, with a
few extending contract balances into
February-March or adding to their
ownership in those months. Declining
wheat futures prices encouraged new
business even as participants prepared
for the Thanksgiving weekend. A softer
cash basis on hard red winter wheat
and recently higher millfeed credits encouraged the holiday week activity.
In the market for spring grades,
individual specialty bread bakers and
frozen dough manufacturers extended
contract balances into January-March.
While the spot basis on hard spring
wheat was erratic, the deferred basis
has been more stable and at a discount
to the nearby.
Demand for whole wheat flour was
brisk. Volume was up about 30% from
a year ago. But whole wheat flour buyers mostly continued to buy month to
month, seeking assurance from consumers that the increased demand for whole
wheat products was more than a fad.
Cookie-cracker and specialty bakers
generally held more extensive coverage than the bread bakers, and they

Bakery flour

added to their January-March ownership last week.
While flour mills in many areas ran
no better than three to four days, some
regions did considerably better. Southwest mills came in under four, Upper
Midwest and Central states between
three and four. Northeast mills averaged less than four, Southeast three to
four. California and Pacific Northwest
mills averaged less than five days. MBN

 Family Flour

Sales of national and regional brands
of family flour remained seasonally
brisk last week. Carlot list prices were
unchanged.
Seasonally aggressive product promotions continued to drive orders and
shipments. The pace was not expected
to slow until after the first two or even
three weeks of December, with regional
suppliers expected to stay busier longer.
Volume during the key baking season
was said to be about on par with that of
last year. At the same time, year-to-date
sales continued to reflect the historical
trend toward slightly lower volume.
Producers of some national and
regional brands that hadn't been
promoted for the past few years have
been more assertive in their campaigns
this year. But there remained only
isolated instances of what could be
considered severe discounting. Most
national and regional brands were offered at no less than 99c per 5-lb bag.
Some grocers continued to feature 10

baking items for $10, including flour.
It was expected that once buying for
Christmas is over, orders and shipments
of family flour would fall off quickly. MBN

 Semolina

Bookings of semolina, granulars and
durum flour were light last week. Prices
were little changed from the week before
and remained at the lowest levels since
August 2002.
Stability ruled in the market for
choice milling hard amber durum in
Minneapolis. The price was unchanged
at $4.70 a bu.
Pasta manufacturers had been busy
filling out contracts for first-quarter
coverage in the previous few weeks,
leaving little to be transacted before the
Thanksgiving break. It was estimated
that about 75% of prospective semolina
business for January-March already has
been booked. Premiums to spot semolina prices asked for the first quarter have
narrowed the past few weeks, which
stimulated a pickup in purchasing.
Historically high freight rates and fuel
surcharges continued to be factored into
prices paid by pasta makers. But freight
rates were scheduled to decline in the
first quarter from current levels and did
not impede the new business. MBN

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

No. 1 hard amber durum

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

Track, Minneapolis
- Change from - Year
- Change from - Year $ per bu
Nov. 25 Nov. 18 Nov. 11 ago
Nov. 25 Nov. 18 Nov. 11 ago Choice milling 13% 4.70
-
-
5.15
Kansas City
cents per bu
Bakers short patent
11.55
-0.25
-0.55 11.55 Amber discount
10
-
-
10
Bakers standard patent 11.45
-0.25
-0.55 11.45 Durum discount
10@40
-
- 10@40
Second clear
6.50
-
-
8.00 Puffing premium
0
-
-
0
Third clear
5.50
-
-
7.00
Semolina
Minneapolis
Spring short patent
12.60
-0.35
-0.70 12.20 Bulk, f.o.b. Minneapolis, $ per cwt
- Change from - Year
Spring standard patent 12.50
-0.35
-0.70 12.10
Nov. 25 Nov. 18 Nov. 11
ago
High gluten
15.50
-0.35
-0.70 15.10
12.65
-
-.10
13.75
Whole wheat
12.50
-0.35
-0.70 12.10 Semolina
12.45
-
-.10
13.55
Specialty whole wheat 12.85
-0.35
-0.70 12.45 Granulars
12.35
-
-.10
13.45
Fancy spring clear
12.35
-0.35
-0.70 11.95 Flour
9.70
-
-
10.30
First spring clear
12.25
-0.35
-0.70 11.85 First clear
6.50
-
-
8.55
Rye, white
10.10
-
-0.10 12.70 Second clear
Semolina - N.Y. 14.95
-
-.10
16.25
Chicago
Cracker
10.10
-0.10
0.15 11.10
Nationally advertised family flour
Fancy cake
11.60
-0.10
0.15 12.60
Dollars
New York
Nov. 25
Year ago
Winter/spring blend
13.95
-0.25
-0.55 13.95
Family patent, 2-25s papers 15.36
15.36
Spring standard patent 14.85
-0.30
-0.55 14.45
4-10s
13.00
13.00
High gluten
17.85
-0.30
-0.55 17.45
8-5s
13.36
13.36
Fancy cake
13.60
-0.10
0.15 14.60
18-2s
15.66
15.66
Rye, white
12.60
-
-0.10 15.20
Self-rising
+56c per bale +56c per bale
Los Angeles
Bakers standard patent 12.75
-0.25
-0.55 12.55
Pastry
12.05
-0.25
-0.55 12.20

32 / Milling & Baking News, November 29, 2005

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
http://www.bakingbusiness.com/world-grain.com
Milling & Baking News - November 29, 2005

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