WASHINGTON, DC, US — A gradual recovery of US flour production continued in the second quarter of 2024 with an increase of almost 2% from a year earlier, according to data issued Aug. 1 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

Production in April-June was 104.908 million cwts, up 1.934 million cwts, or 1.9%, from the second quarter last year at 102.974 million. Production was down from 107.407 million cwts in the second quarter of 2022 but topped 103.32 million in 2021. This year’s total exceeded the average for second-quarter flour production between 2015 and 2020 of 104.113 million cwts.

Flour outturn in the second quarter was down 624,000 cwts, or 0.6%, from 105.532 million cwts in the first quarter.

US flour mills during the quarter operated at 85.1% of six-day capacity, an improvement from 83.8% in April-June 2023 but down slightly from 85.4% in the first quarter. The mill operating rate was lower than in 14 of the last 17 quarters, dating to the start of 2020. The recent low was 81.5% in April-June 2020.

Daily flour milling capacity in the quarter was 1,601,842 cwts, up 5,856 cwts, or 0.4%, from 1,595,986 cwts in the same period in 2023. Capacity was down slightly, 3,500 cwts, from 1,605,342 cwts in the first quarter of 2024.

Working days in the second quarter totaled 77, unchanged from the first quarter and a year ago.

Second-quarter wheat grind was 226.006 million bushels, up 4.055 million bushels, or 1.8%, from the second quarter last year. It was down 539,000 bushels, or 0.2%, from 226.545 million bushels in the first quarter.

 Millfeed production in the second quarter was 1,605,149 tons, up 14,641 tons, or 0.9%, from the second quarter of 2023. It was down 1,252 tons   from 1,606,401 tons in the first quarter.

The flour extraction rate in April-June was 77.4%, down from 77.6% in the first quarter and up slightly from 77.3% a year ago. It was 77.9% in January-March 2017 when extraction was the highest since the start of NASS statistics.

NASS data now have been issued for 40 consecutive quarters, 10 years, or since July-September 2014. While data back to July-September 2014 were compiled by NASS, statistics spanning the period between July-September 2011 and the second quarter of 2014 originated from the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA) panel of the largest US mills and subsequently underwent interpolation by Milling & Baking News, a sister publication of World Grain, to make the data comparable with earlier statistics compiled by the US Census Bureau.

For the first six months of the year, January-June flour output aggregated 210.41 million cwts, gaining 2.659 million over 207.781 million cwts a year back. It was down 3.438 million cwts from the record first-half total of 213.878 million in January-June 2022. It was 206.955 million cwts in the first half of 2021.

The 12-month rolling flour production total (July 2023-June 2024) was 422.657 million cwts, down from 424.187 million cwts a year ago. The record for any 12-month interval was 431.797 million cwts in the period ended September 2022.

Wheat grind in January-June 2024 was 452.551 million bushels, up 5.241 million, or 1.2%, from 447.31 million a year back.

Millfeed output in the first half of 2024 totaled 3,211,550, against 3,209,462 a year back.

Similar to total wheat flour outturn, semolina production in the second quarter recovered modestly from the year before. At 7.332 million cwts, production was up 394,000 cwts, or 6%, from 6.938 million cwts a year earlier. Production was down 706,000 cwts, or 9%, from 8.038 million cwts in the first quarter. The record quarter for semolina was 9.155 million cwts in April-June 2020.

Durum grind in April-June aggregated 15.195 million bushels, down 683,000 bushels, or 4.7%, from 14.412 million a year ago. It was down 1.496 million bushels, or 9%, from 16.691 million in the first quarter.

Semolina milling capacity stood at 134,730 cwts, unchanged from a year back. Semolina capacity utilization was 70.7%, against 80.3% in the first quarter and 66.9% a year ago.

Semolina output in January-June totaled 15.37 million cwts, up 89,000, or 0.6%, from a year earlier. Durum grind in the same period totaled 31.886 million bushels against 31.74 million a year back, up 146,000 bushels, or 0.5%.

Wheat flour production excluding semolina in the second quarter was 97.576 million cwts, up 1.54 million cwts, or 1.6%, from 96.036 million cwts a year ago. It was up 82,000 from 97.494 million in the first quarter.

Rye flour output in April-June totaled 172,000 cwts, against 175,000 in the first quarter and 137,000 a year ago.

The ranking region in April-June 2024 again was Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin at 11.735 million cwts, up 1.6% from 11.552 million in the same quarter a year ago. It was down 0.3% from 11.7 million in the first quarter. Mills in this region operated at 93.4% of six-day capacity, against 93.1% in the first quarter and 91.9% a year ago. The state grouping accounted for 11.2% of total production in April-June, against 11.1% in the first quarter and 11.2% a year ago.

Ranking second was Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington producing 7.642 million cwts, down 0.3% from 7.666 million a year ago. It was up 1.1% from 7.557 million cwts in the first quarter. Mill grind averaged 83.1% in the second quarter against 82.27% in the first quarter and 83.4% a year back. This state grouping represented 7.3% of the national outturn in April-June, against 7.2% in the first quarter and 7.4% a year ago.

In third place was Kansas turning out 7.528 million cwts, against 7.525 million in the first quarter and down 0.1% from 7.538 million a year ago. Grind rate in Kansas in the second quarter was 87.4%, unchanged from the first quarter and just beneath 87.6% a year ago. The state milled 7.2% of the national total in the second quarter, compared with 7.1% in the first quarter and 7.3% a year ago.

North Dakota ranked fourth at 7.424 million cwts and California fifth at 7.361 million cwts. They were followed by New Jersey and New York, 6.373 million cwts; Texas, 6.079 million; Missouri, 5.893 million; Ohio, 5.423 million; Pennsylvania, 5.297 million; Minnesota,4.983 million; Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, 4.268 million; Colorado and Oklahoma, 3.977 million; Kentucky and Tennessee, also at 3.977 million; North Carolina, 3.593 million; Iowa and Nebraska, 3.005 million; Michigan, 2.708 million as well as Maryland and Virginia, 2.68 million. Other states were at 4.962 million cwts.

Capacity in most states and state groupings remained unchanged. Changes were highlighted by Michigan gaining 8,000 cwts from a year ago; North Dakota, 2,400 and California, 1,000 offset by other states, down 5,500 cwts and Iowa and Nebraska, 44.

Between the first and second quarters, North Dakota added 2,000 cwts and other states were off 5,500 cwts.