WASHINGTON — Third-quarter flour production data from the North American Millers’ Association as compiled by Veris Consulting, Inc. indicated mostly modest shifts in regional flour production with a few important exceptions. In particular, Central states mills recorded a significant increase in their share of national output after falling sharply earlier in the year. The Western region recorded a matching reduction between the last two quarters. Spring wheat states held recent share gains while the Central states increased share after a number of setbacks. According to the Veris data, persistent long-run trends between the various regions were generally absent.

Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas led among individual state groups and reported state-groupings in flour production, followed by Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin and Minnesota. Next came New Jersey and New York; California; Missouri; Pennsylvania and North Dakota. Ohio and Texas filled out the top 10.

NAMA data showed total U.S. 24-hour flour milling capacity in July-September down 461 cwts from the second quarter. Missouri and North Dakota both posted gains of 1,000 cwts and Oregon, Utah and Washington 860, while Ohio was down 1,621, California down 1,200 and Texas down 500. At the same time, U.S. capacity in the third quarter rose 24,139 cwts over a year ago. Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin were up a combined 10,900 cwts, while Michigan was up 5,000, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas were up 4,500, New Jersey and New York up 1,700, Kentucky and Tennessee as well as Missouri up 1,500, California up 1,400, North Dakota up 760 and Oregon, Utah and Washington up 300. Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were down 1,800 and Ohio was down 1,621.