Milling & Baking News - May 22, 2007 - 74

Ingredient Week

Bakery Flour

Bookings of bakery flour were light
last week. Prices declined.
Of all flour buyers, cookie-cracker
and specialty bakers were the most on
edge. There was considerable concern
over the size and quality of new crop
soft red winter wheat in the wake of
the April 7-8 freeze. Some soft flour users inquired about at least booking the
basis through the summer months. But
they resisted basis levels that seemed
already to have factored in prospects
for uncomfortably tight supply in the
coming months. Basis inquiries were
greatest in the Southeast, according to
one miller. But the soft red basis was
firm across all producing areas. Cookie-cracker and specialty bakers held
flour coverage extending through June
and in some instances through July.
Pan bread bakers mostly held to the
sidelines. There was limited basis-only
booking for July-September. Flour coverage was solid through June. But JulySeptember flat coverage remained at less
than 25%. Wheat futures declined. Bread
bakers expected both futures prices and
the cash basis to face pressure with the
approach of the hard winter wheat harvest in key areas. Bun bakers eagerly
awaited the traditional bump-up in orders that takes place with the beginning
of outdoor grilling season.
Specialty bread and other spring
grade users also stood aside last week,
except in the case of distributors and
other users of sacked flour who booked

Bakery flour

what was required to keep contract balances extended about 30 days or so. Specialty bread bakers' coverage extended
through June and into July.
Flour grind was about steady last
week. Mills in the Southwest and Upper
Midwest ran five to six days. Grind in the
Northeast varied, with one mill at seven
days but others running much less. Central states mills ran 4½ to six days, and
Southeast just more than five. California
and Pacific Northwest flour grind averaged six days. MBN

Family Flour

Sales of national and regional brands
of family flour were seasonally sluggish
last week. Carlot list prices were unchanged.
Spring-summer doldrums prevailed.
Orders were routine with home bakers
doing the minimum. The market wasn't
expected to perk up until the approach
of the fall baking season.
Pre-packing for the key home baking
season was expected to begin sometime
in June. Until then, manufacturers expected packaging lines will operate only
about three days a week.
Retail pricing was standard, with no
discounts applying except in instances
where individual grocers sought to reduce inventory.
Most private label buyers' coverage extended into or through the summer, with major chain grocers covered
through the remainder of the year. Talks
were under way with some buyers who

typically book supply on a SeptemberAugust basis. MBN

Semolina

Bookings of semolina, granulars and
durum flour were light last week. Prices
declined.
The cash price of choice milling hard
amber durum in Minneapolis dropped
10c a bu last week, to $6.50. The drop
opened the way for lower semolina pricing. But pasta manufacturers remained on
the sidelines except for occasional bookings to keep contract balances extended
30 days or so. Most semolina buyers
held ownership extending through June.
But coverage into new crop remained
piddling. With larger crops expected in
both the U.S. and Canada this year, pasta
makers were expected to continue booking month-to-month in the hope prices
will be pressured later in the summer
with the approach of harvest.
Outstanding progress was made in
the seeding of 2007 crop durum on both
sides of the border. The U.S. Department
of Agriculture indicated durum planting
by May 13 was 56% completed in North
Dakota and 85% in Montana. Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food estimated
Saskatchewan seeding of durum was
45% completed by May 13. 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
May 18 May 11 May 4 ago
May 18 May 11
May 4 ago Choice milling 13% 6.50
-.10
-.10
4.85
Kansas City
cents per bu
Bakers short patent
13.85
-0.15
-0.25 14.35 Amber discount
10
-
-
10
Bakers standard patent 13.75
-0.15
-0.25 14.25 Durum discount
10@40
-
- 10@40
Second clear
7.00
-
-
5.00 Puffing premium
0
-
-
0
Third clear
5.80
-
-
4.50
Semolina
Minneapolis
Spring short patent
13.35
-0.50
-0.50 13.85 Bulk, f.o.b. Minneapolis, $ per cwt
- Change from - Year
Spring standard patent 13.25
-0.50
-0.50 13.75
May 18 May 11 May 4
ago
High gluten
16.25
-0.50
-0.50 16.75
17.00
-.20
-.05
13.15
Whole wheat
13.25
-0.50
-0.50 13.75 Semolina
16.80
-.20
-.05
12.95
Specialty whole wheat 13.60
-0.50
-0.50 14.10 Granulars
16.70
-.20
-.05
12.85
Fancy spring clear
13.10
-0.50
-0.50 13.60 Flour
13.45
-.20
-.05
9.95
First spring clear
13.00
-0.50
-0.50 13.50 First clear
8.55
-
-
7.30
Rye, white
11.80
0.05
0.25 10.55 Second clear
Semolina - N.Y. 19.50
-.20
-.05
15.45
Chicago
Cracker
12.65
-0.50
-0.25 11.60
Nationally advertised family flour
Fancy cake
14.15
-0.50
-0.25 13.10
Dollars
New York
May 18
Year ago
Winter/spring blend
16.25
-0.15
-0.25 16.75
Family patent, 2-25s papers 15.36
15.36
Spring standard patent 15.40
-0.45
-0.50 16.05
4-10s
13.00
13.00
High gluten
18.40
-0.45
-0.50 19.05
8-5s
13.36
13.36
Fancy cake
16.15
-0.50
-0.25 15.10
18-2s
15.66
15.66
Rye, white
14.30
0.05
0.25 13.05
Self-rising
+88c per bale +56c per bale
Los Angeles
Bakers standard patent 15.15
-0.15
-0.35 15.70
Pastry
16.90
-0.15
-0.15 12.90
76 /May 22, 2007

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 - May 22, 2007

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