WASHINGTON — Flour output in the third quarter of this year increased 3.2% over a year ago to a near record. Production in the first nine months of the year was up 2.7% to a record high. This reflects a total of 103,751,000 cwts in July-September resulting from a survey of the 24 largest U.S. wheat, durum and rye milling companies under the supervision of the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA). This in turn compares with 97,247,000 cwts in the second quarter and 100,561,000 in the third quarter of 2011, the quarter in which the NAMA survey began.
NAMA retain Veris Consulting, Inc. to conduct the survey of milling companies. Data published in this report are based on data voluntarily reported to Veris.
The share of total U.S. capacity of the reporting companies is 95.4%, based on Milling & Baking News compilations. All companies responded to the survey. Therefore, total industry volume presented is less than 100% and the numbers provided will not accurately show total industry volume. No estimates were made to bring the volume up to 100%.
In order to compare NAMA data with earlier U.S. Census numbers, Milling & Baking News divides NAMA figures by .954. This places July-September production at 108,754,000 cwts, against 101,936,000 in the second and 105,410,000 a year back. January-September output similarly aggregated 314,512,000, compared with 305,747,000 in the first three quarters of last year.
The July-September interpolated output of 108,754,000 cwts was the largest for the quarter since 109,017,000 in July-September 2007, the record. The 314,512,000 for January-September sets a new mark.
NAMA puts daily flour milling capacity for July-September at 1,473,280 cwts. The latter can similarly be interpolated at 1,544,000. The high was 1,604,000 in April-June 2001. Milling & Baking News shows resulting rate of grind at 92.7%, against 86.2% in the second and 90.1% a year back. This is based on 76 working days in the third quarter and 77 in the second and a year ago.