Milling & Baking News - July 3, 2018 - 18

Business

opposed to consumer priorities suddenly shifting back toward processed
frozen foods)."
Mr. Warner said that while some
frozen food companies have experienced a resurgence in sales recently, he
believes there are limits to how much
the frozen categories can rebound.
"Revamping products to better align
with consumer tastes and priorities is
absolutely a path to growth in the frozen aisle, but it is not a surefire means
to it for all frozen companies," he said.
"I believe opportunities for growth are
ultimately limited in this space. Combining the resources of Conagra and
Pinnacle, along with their selections of

recognizable and increasingly on-trend
brands, could help to solidify a portion
of this potential growth for both companies, assuring that they can compete
well with other large manufacturers,
such as Nestle, and that they fully capitalize on the opportunities that exist
while they are available and aren't left
out. Additionally, Pinnacle's advantage
extends beyond just its frozen ready
meals. It has a huge presence, primarily
through its Birds Eye brand, in frozen
vegetables, which has increasingly included innovative and on-trend items
such as riced vegetables and cauliflower items with bold flavors - all items
that are helping to fuel growth.

Southern Plains wheat harvest
resumes following rain delays

18 / July 3, 2018

Milling & Baking News

except the North Central at 85% and the
Panhandle at 52%, the Oklahoma Wheat
Commission said in its June 26 report.
"As of today (June 26), harvest has
been progressing in Boise City," the Oklahoma Wheat Commission said. "Producers in other parts of the Panhandle are
hoping to get into the fields today and
tomorrow, while in some areas, it will
©DUSAN KOSTIC - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

KANSAS CITY - Rainfall across the
southern Plains temporarily stalled the
hard red winter wheat harvest, while
widespread rains across the Corn Belt
states benefited fall crops but also delayed soft red winter wheat harvest in the
Central states. But hot, dry weather returned at midweek, and combines again
were rolling across the southern Plains.
After making strong progress since
early June, the hard red winter wheat
harvest came to a standstill across most
of the southern Plains around June 20 as
widespread rains moved through the region. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
in its weekly Crop Progress report said
Kansas wheat was 52% harvested as of
June 24, up from 23% a week earlier and
ahead of 44% last year and 32% as the
2013-17 average for the date. Wheat was
92% combined in Oklahoma (74% as the
average for the date), 71% in Texas (71%),
6% in Colorado (1%) and 1% in Nebraska
(1%). Harvest had not yet begun in South
Dakota and Montana.
In a June 27 harvest update, Kansas
Wheat said a few combines resumed operations June 26 and more did on June
27 as 100+ degree temperatures and high
winds dried out fields in western Kansas,
although high humidity remained an issue. As was the case in wheat harvested
in other parts of the state before the rain
delay, reports from southwest Kansas indicated higher-than-expected yields and
protein averaging 12% or above, but in a
wide range of 10.5% to 15.5%. Test weights
remained good as well, although some
were down slightly due to drought during
the growing season, Kansas Wheat said.
Harvest also resumed in Oklahoma,
where wheat was 93% combined as of
June 26, with all regions at 94% or above

still be a few more days, even in parts of
Northern Oklahoma. Grain quality to this
point continues to be favorable with high
test weights and high proteins; however,
the producers in parts of Northern Oklahoma are concerned that test weights will
be impacted on what is left in the field."
Test weights were averaging 60 to 62
lbs per bu for wheat harvested in the Panhandle June 26, with protein from 12.5%
to 13%. Dryland yields have ranged from
10 bus per acre to the mid-20s, with occasional reports of yields in the high 30s,
the Commission said.
While the recent rainfall would have
been much more welcome during the
winter wheat growing season, farmers across the southern Plains reported
better-than-expected yields in many
cases (though below average) and much
higher protein, which was expected from
the drought-stressed crop. The protein
was especially welcome after the prior
two consecutive hard red winter crops of

"With Conagra's recent spin-off of
its Lamb Weston frozen potato brand,
this could re-engage the company in
the frozen vegetable space alongside
its frozen meals presence, but with a
selection of products more frequently
associated with health and wellness
and much more aligned with consumer trends than frozen potatoes. Additionally, Pinnacle's ownership of specialty gluten-free baked goods brands
like Udi's and Glutino are a huge plus
in reaching consumers in another
growing specialty area. Ultimately, if
it takes place, this merger could create
a really powerful duo and a new giant
in the food industry." MBN

below-average protein and will lend itself well to blending with remaining oldcrop, low-protein supply.
Based on 105 of an expected 500 samples of hard red winter wheat, Plains
Grains, Inc. (P.G.I.) on June 22 reported
an average protein of 12.6% (11.4% as
the 2017 crop average), an average test
weight of 60.9 bus per acre (60.8 bus in
2017) and an average grade of No. 1 hard
red winter (the same as last year).
The rains also caused delays for the soft
red winter wheat harvest in the key Central states. While the soft red harvest was
well advanced across the South, it was just
beginning in some of the Central states.
The U.S.D.A. said as of June 24 winter
wheat was 66% harvested in Illinois (41%
as the prior five-year average for the date),
28% in Indiana (20%), 4% in Ohio (3%),
66% in Missouri (47%), 99% in Arkansas
(83%) and 75% in North Carolina (71%).
Harvest had not yet begun in Michigan.
U.S. Wheat Associates in its June 22 harvest update, based on 75 of an expected
300 samples, said soft red winter wheat
average protein was 10% (9.5% as the 2017
crop average), average test weight was
56.6 lbs per bu (58.8 lbs last year), average
thousand kernel weight was 30.9 grams
(34.2 grams last year), and average falling
number was 326 seconds (320 seconds last
year). The average grade was No. 3 soft
red winter (No. 2 last year) "due to the low
test weight average from southern North
Carolina of 55.4 lbs per bu."
The rains were welcome for spring
wheat in the Upper Midwest. Spring
wheat in the six major states was rated
77% good to excellent as of June.
Row crops also benefited from recent
rainfall. The U.S.D.A. said corn in the 18 major states was rated 77% good to excellent as
of June 24, well above 67% at the same time
last year and historically high. The corn crop
was entering its key pollination phase, with
5% of the crop silking as of June 24. MBN
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Milling & Baking News - July 3, 2018

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