Milling & Baking News - December 6, 2005 - 43

I N G R E D I E N T

W E E K

Bakery Flour

Bookings of bakery flour were limited
last week. Prices advanced.
Most of the business transacted took
place on Monday and Tuesday. Advancing wheat futures prices choked off
interest beginning midweek, with the
exception of soft flour bookings that
developed near the week's end.
Individual cookie-cracker and specialty bakers, particularly in the Southeast, added to their ownership of January-March flour needs. Chicago wheat
futures price moves were not as volatile
as those in Kansas City and Minneapolis. But there were concerns that the cash
market for soft red winter wheat could
strengthen from current levels. This encouraged some soft flour buyers to book
their needs last week rather than risk a
stronger market later. Soft flour bookings continued even after business all
but shut off in the other grades.
Pan bread bakers early last week filled
gaps in December ownership and added
to January-March coverage. The pace of
business slowed at midweek, though,
as futures prices registered impressive
gains. It was estimated that about 50%
of prospective January-March coverage
was on the books. The cash basis on hard
red winter wheat at Kansas City steadied
following recent setbacks.
Activity was similar in the market for
spring grades. Specialty bread bakers
extended contract balances further into
January-March. Distributors bought
what was required to keep contract bal-

Bakery flour

Family Flour

Sales of national and regional brands
of family flour were brisk last week. Carlot list prices were unchanged.
Shipments were seasonally heavy. But
volume was expected to drop off sharply
after a couple of weeks. The key home
baking season extends from October
through December, embracing Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. Grocers
and other principal retailers of family
flour around mid-December usually halt
or reduce product promotion campaigns
and shift from buying flour or ordering flour shipped against contracts to
working down holiday inventories.
This year was expected to be no exception. Manufacturers of national brands
and of private label flour expected to
see business slow at mid-month. Some
regional manufacturers, particularly in
the Southeast, have orders that will keep
them busy until Dec. 20.
Product promotions were not as aggressive as before Thanksgiving. But
even then, promotions were not as assertive as they had been in recent years.
Packaging lines operated about six
days last week. MBN

Semolina

Bookings of semolina, granulars
and durum flour were light last week.
Prices were little changed from the
week before.
Stability continued to rule in the
market for choice milling hard amber
durum. The price at Minneapolis held
at $4.70 a bu. Pricing has been steady
at that level since mid-August. Durum prices had been 45c a bu higher
a year ago.
The steady price of durum has kept
semolina prices stable as well, although
high freight rates and fuel surcharges
kept prices paid by pasta makers above
the levels quoted in this column.
Pasta makers already have covered
about 75% of their semolina requirements for January-March. Heavy booking for the quarter developed a few
weeks ago, when premiums to spot
prices asked by millers for JanuaryMarch semolina begin to decline. Pasta
makers were comfortable with their
ownership for the first quarter, so no
rush in booking was expected during
the run-up to the winter holidays.
There were no indications that the
cash durum market would be subject
to pressures that would drive prices
significantly higher or lower. MBN

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

No. 1 hard amber durum

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

ances extended about 30 or 40 days.
Flour mill grind recovered from the
prior holiday-shortened workweek. Mills
in the Southwest, Upper Midwest and
Northeast averaged six days. Central
states and Southeast mills ran five to 5½.
California mills were at six to 6½ days
and Pacific Northwest six to seven. MBN

12.00
11.90
6.50
5.50

Track, Minneapolis
- Change from - Year $ per bu
Dec. 2
Nov. 25 Nov. 18 ago Choice milling 13% 4.70
cents per bu
0.45
0.20 11.60 Amber discount
10
0.45
0.20 11.50 Durum discount
10@40
-
-
8.00 Puffing premium
0
-
-
7.00

- Change from - Year
Nov. 25 Nov. 18 ago
-
-
5.15
-
-
-

-
-
-

10
10@40
0

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

Semolina

12.80
12.70
15.70
12.70
13.05
12.55
12.45
10.20

0.20
0.20
0.20
0.20
0.20
0.20
0.20
0.10

-0.15
-0.15
-0.15
-0.15
-0.15
-0.15
-0.15
0.10

12.30
12.20
15.20
12.20
12.55
12.05
11.95
12.70

Bulk, f.o.b. Minneapolis, $ per cwt
- Change from -
Dec. 2
Nov. 25 Nov. 18
Semolina
12.70
+.05
+.05
Granulars
12.50
+.05
+.05
Flour
12.40
+.05
+.05
First clear
9.75
+.05
+.05
Second clear
6.50
-
-
Semolina - N.Y. 15.00
+.05
+.05

10.60
12.10

0.50
0.50

0.40
0.40

11.10
12.60

Nationally advertised family flour

14.40
15.00
18.00
14.10
12.70

0.45
0.15
0.15
0.50
0.10

0.20
-0.15
-0.15
0.40
0.10

14.00
14.60
17.60
14.60
15.20

13.30
12.60

0.55
0.55

0.30
0.30

12.60
12.25

44 / Milling & Baking News, December 6, 2005

Year
ago
13.80
13.60
13.50
10.30
8.55
16.30

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

Dollars
Dec. 2
Family patent, 2-25s papers 15.36
4-10s
13.00
8-5s
13.36
18-2s
15.66
Self-rising
+56c per bale

Year ago
15.36
13.00
13.36
15.66
+56c per bale

bakingbusiness.com/world-grain.com

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

Milling & Baking News - December 6, 2005

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