U.S.: April-September whole wheat flour production down

Production of whole wheat flour totaled 4.352 million cwts in July-September 2025, down 329,000 cwts, or 7%, from 4.681 million cwts in the third quarter last year, according to data issued Dec. 10 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

The report was issued about five weeks after the scheduled Nov. 3 release, one of many US economic reports delayed by the government shutdown.

Third-quarter whole wheat flour production was the smallest of any third quarter since NASS began collecting data 11 years ago. At 4.352 million cwts, whole wheat flour outturn was 31% smaller than the record for the quarter of 6.326 million cwts in 2015.

Whole wheat flour production was up 3.3% from 4.211 million cwts in the second quarter of this year.

Whole wheat’s share of total flour production in the third quarter was 4.1%, down from 4.4% last year but unchanged from April-June 2025.

Year-to-date whole wheat flour production was 13.051 million cwts, down 631,000, or 4.6%, from 13.682 million cwts in the first nine months last year. In 2023, year-to-date production was 13.404 million cwts.

Whole wheat semolina production in the third quarter was 66,000 cwts, down 20,000 cwts, or 23%, from 86,000 cwts in the same period last year. Production was down 6,000 cwts, or 8%, cwts from 72,000 cwts in the second quarter. Whole wheat semolina production equated to 0.9% of total US semolina production in the third quarter, down from 1.1% in the third quarter last year and unchanged from the second quarter of 2023.

Production of whole wheat flour ex-semolina was 4.286 million cwts in the third quarter of 2025, down 309,000 cwts, or 7%, from 4.595 million cwts in the third quarter last year. Production was up 3.6% from 4.139 million cwts in the second quarter. Whole wheat flour ex-semolina held a 4.4% share of total flour production excluding semolina, down from 4.6% last year but unchanged from the second quarter.

Tags: semolina, whole wheat flour, ex-semolina, US, Production