WASHINGTON, DC, US — Flour production in the second quarter of 2022 totaled a record 107.407 million cwts, up 4.087 million, or 4%, from 103.32 million a year ago, according to data issued Aug. 1 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the US Department of Agriculture.  Second-quarter 2022 production was up 5.2% from 102.25 million cwts in the second quarter of 2020. Production in the first quarter of 2022 was 106.471 million cwts.

In the first six months of 2022, flour output aggregated a record 213.878 million cwts, up 3.3% from 206.955 million in January-June 2021. The previous high was 210.916 million cwts in January-June 2018.

US 24-hour capacity in April-June was 1,592,330 cwts, down 8,000 from 1,600,330 in the first quarter and up 9,668 from 1,582,662 cwts a year back.

Flour mill operating rate in April-June was at 87.6%, up from 87.5% in January-March and from 84.8% in April-June 2021.

Wheat grind in the second quarter at 231.68 million bushels was up 0.6% from 230.268 million in the first quarter and up 3.8% from 223.289 million a year ago.

Millfeed output in April-June totaled 1,684,355 tons, against 1,666,162 in the first quarter and 1,627,510 a year ago.

April-June semolina production increased 3.3% to 7.487 million cwts from 7.247 million cwts in 2021. It was down 1.7% from 7.616 million cwts in the first quarter this year. Semolina output in the first half of 2022 totaled 14.734 million cwts, down from 15.333 million a year back and from 17.295 million in January-June 2020, the record.

NASS data are now available for 32 consecutive quarters.

US flour production ex-semolina in the second quarter was 99.92 million cwts, up from 96.073 million a year ago. It was 92.895 million cwts in 2020 and 96.307 million cwts in 2019.

Rye flour production in the second quarter totaled 174,000 cwts, down from 200,000 in the first quarter and down from 201,000 a year ago.