Food Business News - January 4, 2022 - 34

INGREDIENT MARKETS
Bakery Flour
Bookings of bakery flour expanded
last week. Flour prices fell sharply along
with wheat futures and basis prices in
Kansas City, Minneapolis and key soft
red winter wheat producing areas.
Manufacturers of consumer
packaged goods of all types were busy,
working to finish first-quarter coverage
before the new year. For many, that
meant transferring their futures book to
pair with millfeed credits and the basis
component for completed contracts.
Flat pricing or the combining of the
three components comprised most sales.
The hard red winter basis " was a nonstarter "
in most bakers' view after sharp
increases continued into the middle of
the week before declining across the bottom
half of the protein scale on Friday.
High millfeed values had buyers taking
" just what they need and no more, " a
miller said.
Also, mid-size regional manufacturers
and distributors were buying relatively
extensive coverage during price
Bulk, f.o.b. car, $ per cwt
Bakery flour
Kansas City
Bakers short patent
Bakers standard patent
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
Semolina
Bulk, f.o.b. Minneapolis
$ per cwt
Semolina
Granulars
Flour
Semolina - NY
8-5s
34
Dec. 31 Dec. 23
45.00
44.80
44.70
48.20
-.70
-.70
-.70
-.70
19.92
Food Business News
- Change from -
Dec. 17
-.80
-.80
-.80
-.80
Year
ago
19.55
19.35
19.25
22.95
Nationally advertised family flour
Dec. 31
Year ago
18.52
25.25
25.20
25.10
26.10
25.10
25.45
24.95
24.85
17.30
19.30
20.80
27.75
27.05
28.05
22.80
19.80
29.45
29.50
- Change from - Year
Dec. 31 Dec. 23 Dec. 17 ago
25.35
-1.85
-1.85
-1.20
-1.20
-1.20
-1.20
-1.20
-1.20
-1.20
-0.15
-0.80
-0.80
-1.85
-1.15
-1.15
-0.80
-0.15
-1.85
-1.85
0.15
0.15
-0.40
-0.40
-0.40
-0.40
-0.40
-0.40
-0.40
-0.25
0.05
0.05
0.15
-0.15
-0.15
0.05
-0.25
0.15
0.15
16.60
16.50
15.50
15.40
16.40
15.40
15.75
15.25
15.15
18.50
16.25
17.75
19.00
17.25
18.25
19.75
21.00
21.40
21.45
$11.30
$14.30
$17.30
$20.30
$23.30
JA JO
Previous Year
Current Year
dips, of which there were several.
Aside from those customers, who
purchased the equivalent of 7½ days'
flour grind from one miller, major bakers
and other food manufacturers were on
the sidelines but considering options for
2022.
" It's a new year and time to start
fresh, " an Upper Midwest miller said.
" Buyers are willing to take a position
even if it's not right. No one wants to be
short. Buyers are optimistic they can layer
in and average down, and it feels good
to have these buyers engaged again. "
Pan bread bakers' first-quarter
coverage jumped to 65% while spring
grades advanced to 75% and soft flour to
45%. In the April-June period, pan-bread
and spring grade buyers were about
38% covered, with cookie-cracker and
specialty bakers at about 25%. Buyers
three weeks earlier had begun initial
forays into July-September, which was
unchanged at 20% for hard red winter
flour, 15% for spring grades and 10% for
soft flour. FBN
No. 1 hard amber durum
Track, Chicago
$ per bu
Chicago choice milling 13% 18.50
$12.50
$14.50
$16.50
$18.50
$20.50
$22.50
$24.50
$26.50
$28.50
JA JO
Previous Year
Current Year
Spring standard, Minneapolis
$12.00
$14.00
$16.00
$18.00
$20.00
$22.00
$24.00
$26.00
$28.00
JA JO
Previous Year
Current Year
Cracker flour, Chicago
Dec. 31 Dec. 23 Dec. 17
-.25
-.25
Bulk, f.o.b. car, per cwt
Bakers standard, Kansas City
- Change from - Year
ago
8.45
Family Flour
Sales and shipments of national
and regional brands of family flour were
limited last week as grocers had supplies
on hand through January. Carlot list
prices were unchanged about a month
out from planned increases by several
manufacturers.
The quiet market was a relief to
some manufacturers grappling with a
pandemic labor shortage, which was
exacerbated by employees squeezing in
vacation days before the calendar flipped
to 2022, and by employees catching some
variant of COVID-19 and quarantining at
home for the required five days.
Flour packing line runtimes at some
mid-size manufacturers eased to two
shifts per day for four days.
Private label flour buyers were inactive,
millers said. Earlier in the month,
most customers locked in all expected
needs for the first quarter, and in a few
cases, out through the crop year.
Promotions were few compared
with the height of the fall baking
season. Still, a national brand in a 5-lb
bag was on sale at suburban Midwest
grocers for $2.69 alongside private label
in the same size for 30¢ less. Mass merchandisers
in the same region listed
a national brand for $2.44 and private
label at $1.56. FBN
Semolina
Bookings of semolina, granulars
and durum flour were extremely limited
last week. Pasta makers were fully covered
for the first quarter and indicated
they would refocus on the second quarter
in January. Prices eased alongside lower
durum wheat quotes and Upper Midwest
millfeed credits edging higher.
The price of choice milling hard amber
durum as quoted at the Chicago rail
gateway for delivery beyond was $18.50
a bu, down 25¢. Durum was not actively
traded or offered.
Durum mills for the most part
closed late Thursday for New Year's
weekend.
" Everything is as smooth as it could
possibly be, " a veteran durum miller
said. " We don't have anybody hurting for
supplies and it's incredibly quiet. " FBN
January 4, 2022
Food Business News - January 4, 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Business News - January 4, 2022
