Milling & Baking News - February 25, 2020 - 34

Data

Depressed year for whole wheat
flour concludes on strong note

21,007

22,343

22,519

22,164

24,115

21,312

23,142

in 1,000 cwts

23,246

first quarter of 2017. But for the strong
October-December figures, the whole
wheat flour share for all of 2019 would
have fallen below 5% for the first time
WASHINGTON - Whole wheat flour 8%, from 5,531,000 cwts in the fourth since the mid-2000s.
Whole wheat semolina producproduction by U.S. mills in 2019 was quarter of 2018. Production was up a
21,007,000 cwts, down 1,336,000 cwts, whopping 21% from the third quarter tion in 2019 totaled 644,000 cwts,
or 6%, from 22,343,000 cwts in 2018, of 2019, when whole wheat flour out- up 40,000 cwts, or 7%, from 604,000
cwts in 2018. In the fourth quarter,
according to data issued Feb. 1 by the turn totaled 4,924,000 cwts.
By a number of measures, fourth- whole wheat semolina production
National Agricultural Service of the
quarter whole wheat production was 160,000 cwts, unchanged from
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Production for the year was the was remarkably strong. At 5,957,000 the fourth quarter of 2018 and down
smallest since NASS began track- cwts, production was the largest for 20% from 200,000 cwts in the third
ing data in the mid-2010s and also any quarter in more than three years, quarter. Whole wheat semolina prowas smaller than production during since 6,053,000 cwts were milled in duction equated to 1.9% of all U.S.
semolina production, the
the period the North
same share as a year earlier
American Millers' AsWhole wheat flour production
but down from 2.7% in the
sociation gathered and
third quarter of 2019.
published whole wheat
Whole wheat flour prodata and much of the
duction in 2019, excluding
period before that when
semolina, was 20,363,000
Milling & Baking News
cwts, down 6% from
published whole wheat
21,739,000 cwts in 2018.
production data based
Before 2019, whole wheat
on a survey of flour
flour production ex-semomillers.
lina production had been
At 21,007,000 cwts,
remarkably stable for a
whole wheat flour pronumber of years, including
duction last year com21,912,000 cwts in 2017 and
pared with 22,519,000
21,428,000 in 2016. Produccwts in 2017, 22,164,000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
tion was higher, 23,262,000
cwts in 2016 and reSource: U.S. Department of Agriculture, North American Millers' Association
cwts, in 2015.
cord production of
In the fourth quarter of
24,115,000 cwts in 2015.
Whole wheat production accounted the third quarter of 2016. The jump of 2019, whole wheat flour production
for 5% of total U.S. wheat flour pro- 426,000 cwts from a year earlier was excluding semolina was 5,797,000
duction, down from 5.2% in 2018 and the largest quarterly year-to-year gain cwts, up 426,000 cwts, or 8%, from
5.3% in 2017. It was the smallest share in four years, or since a 705,000-cwt 5,371,000 cwts in the final quarter of
jump in the fourth quarter of 2015, 2018. Production in the fourth quarter
since 5% in 2014.
A bright spot in the NASS data was and the gain ended a four-quarter was up 23% from 4,724,000 cwts in the
a powerful rebound in whole wheat streak of declines, relative to year ear- third quarter of 2019.
The ex-semolina whole wheat flour
flour production in the fourth quar- lier production.
Whole wheat flour production figure was the largest for a single
ter of 2019. At 5,957,000 cwts, whole
wheat flour production in October- equated to 5.5% of fourth-quarter flour quarter since 5,872,000 cwts in the
December was up 426,000 cwts, or production, the largest share since the third quarter of 2016. MBN

Quarterly whole wheat flour production
Production figures in 1,000 cwts
Whole wheat flour production
Change from year earlier
Trailing four-quarter average
Share of total flour production

Jan.-Mar. Apr.-June July-Sept. Oct.-Dec. Jan.-Mar. Apr.-June July-Sept. Oct.-Dec. Jan.-Mar. Apr.-June July-Sept. Oct.-Dec.
2017
2017
2017
2017
2018
2018
2018
2018
2019
2019
2019
2019
5,800
5,350
5,632
5,737
5,711
5,386
5,715
5,531
4,855
5,271
4,924
5,957
5.2%
3.2%
-7.0%
6.0%
-1.5%
0.7%
1.5%
-3.6% -15.0%
-2.1% -13.8%
7.7%
22,449
22,613
22,192
22,519
22,430 22,466
22,549 22,343
21,487 21,372 20,581
21,007
5.5%
5.1%
5.2%
5.3%
5.4%
5.1%
5.3%
5.1%
4.7%
5.1%
4.6%
5.5%

Whole wheat semolina production
166
Change from year earlier
-20.6%
Share of total semolina production 2.1%
Whole wheat flour ex-semolina
Change from year earlier
Change from year earlier
Share of ex-semolina production

5,634
328
6.2%
5.8%

125
-22.8%
1.6%

194
7.2%
2.5%

122
-33.7%
1.5%

179
7.8%
2.2%

130
4.0%
1.7%

135
-30.4%
1.7%

160
31.1%
1.9%

150
-16.2%
1.9%

134
3.1%
1.8%

200
48.1%
2.7%

160
0%
1.9%

5,225
201
4.0%
5.4%

5,438
(434)
-7.4%
5.4%

5,615
389
7.4%
5.6%

5,532
(102)
-1.8%
5.7%

5,256
31
0.6%
5.4%

5,580
142
2.6%
5.6%

5,371
(244)
-4.3%
5.4%

4,705
(827)
-14.9%
4.9%

5,137
(119)
-2.3%
5.3%

4,724
(856)
-15.3%
4.8%

5,797
426
7.9%
5.8%

Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S.D.A.

34 / February 25, 2020

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