US flour production down in third quarter

Third quarter flour production was down from a year earlier in data issued Nov. 1 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the US Department of Agriculture.

At 106,870,000 cwts, quarterly production in July-September was down 2,989,000 cwts, or 2.7%, from a record 109,859,000 cwts in the third quarter of 2022. While higher than 106,161,000 cwts in July-September 2021, third quarter production was smaller than 108,583,000 cwts in 2020; barely above 106,828,000 cwts in 2019; and well below third quarters of 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015, when production held between 108 million and 109 million cwts each year.

Flour mills operated at 87.6% of six-day capacity in the third quarter, down from 89.4% in the same period in 2022 but a rebound from 84.4% in the second quarter of this year.

Wheat grind in July-September was 230,502,000 bus, down 6,702,000 bus, or 2.8%, from 237,204,000 bus a year earlier. Millfeed production was 1,684,872 tons, down 33,374 tons, or 1.9%.

Semolina production in the third quarter was 7,640,000 cwts, up 133,000 cwts, or 1.8%, from 7,507,000 cwts a year earlier. Production was up 702,000 cwts, or 10%, from 6,938,000 cwts in the second quarter.

Whole wheat flour production was 4,612,000 cwts, down 18,000 cwts, or 0.4%, from 4,630,000 cwts a year earlier. Production was up 323,000 cwts from 4,289,000 cwts in the second quarter of this year.

Tags: flour, USA