WASHINGTON — Softness persisted in the whole wheat market during the first quarter of the year, with whole wheat flour down from the year before.

According to data issued May 1 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the US Department of Agriculture, US whole wheat production in January-March totaled 4,494,000 cwts, down 192,000 cwts, or 4.1%, from 4,686,000 cwts in the first quarter last year.   

Production was down 1.2% from the fourth quarter of 2024, when 4,548,000 cwts of whole wheat flour were milled.

Whole wheat’s share of total wheat flour production in the first quarter was 4.2%, unchanged from the fourth quarter and down from 4.4% in January-March 2024.

In the 12 months ended March 31, whole wheat flour production totaled 18,038,000 cwts, down 129,000 cwts from 18,167,000 cwts in the comparable 12-month period of 2023-24.

Whole wheat semolina production in January-March was 89,000 cwts, up 35,000, or 65%, from 54,000 cwts a year earlier. Production was up 27% from the fourth quarter of 2025. Whole wheat accounted for 1.1% of semolina production in the quarter, versus 0.8% in the fourth quarter of last year and 0.7% in the first quarter.

Production of whole wheat flour ex-semolina in the first quarter was 4,405,000 cwts, down 227,000 cwts, or 4.9%, from 4,632,000 cwts in the first quarter last year. Production was down 1.6% from 4,478,000 cwts in the fourth quarter of 2024.