LONDON, ENGLAND —U.K. millers (including starch and ethanol production) used 5.982 million tonnes of wheat in 2011-12, down 7.8% from the 6.491 million tonnes used in 2010-11, according to data released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Aug. 9.
The Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) said an a 2.3% increase in bread flour production did not offset a 28.6% reduction in other uses. This reduction can mainly be attributed to the absence of grain processing into ethanol in 2011-12. Imported wheat milled was 674,000 tonnes, 13% lower than 2010-11, leaving the proportion of home-grown grain milled up on last year at 88.7%.
Wheat usage for compound feed was 3.046 million tonnes, 11.2% higher than 2010-11 reflecting the substitution of wheat into feed rations instead of barley and oats. Barley usage was 625,000 tonnes, 26.8% lower than the previous season. Oats were also lower at 58,000 tonnes, down 36% on the year.
