April 5, 2014 - 1:38pm
The price of wheat
Today I saw hard red wheat listed at less than $9.00/bushel. But when I checked local suppliers, a 45-50 lb bag is about $45. Now I understand a bushel to weigh 60 lbs. I used to buy hard red for about $25 for 45-50 lbs.
Am I looking at the wrong info?
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are up 17% this year they are almost what they were this time in 2012 and down 46% from their high in 2013 June - July. I can still get AP flour at the grocery store 5# for less than 40 cents a pound so you should get better pricing that that for a 50 # bag I would think.
though wheat prices vary from year to year, flour prices where I live have stabilised. I can get a kilo of good quality, around 12% protein bread flour from either Lithuanian or Finnish millers for 2 LTL, which is about 0.79 USD or 0.58 EUR.
That seems remarkable - living halfway around the world from DB, I get white flour at almost exactly the same price.
Also, talking about wheat prices, has anyone else noticed the paradoxical effect of wheat growers complaining that the harvest is plentiful this year, so the prices are lower?
Prices are way up, here, too. I used to pay $17.50 for hard white wheat about three years ago and it is now $38.25 for a 50# bag. Flours seem to be high, too. You can check out the prices on this list - http://www.goldenorganics.net/our-products#Organic%20Flour. It seems that last year I was still in the $25 range.
was from Azure Standards. It is now $43.20 for 50 lbs of hard red organic wheat. That works out to about $4.5/5 lbs of flour. There is a shipping charge on top of the item cost but it is low due to their setup. I also have access to a local supplier (www.internet-grocer.net). I have enough wheat, rye and spelt for now. But if the price goes down in a couple of months, I'd like to stock up. I like the idea of making nice breads for less than I can buy them ready made.
I work very closely with grower and miller for our flour. One of the reason is that their demand for oat and corn is going to the roof for Brewery and distillery. Yes Corn and oat is now used in making booze. Soooo. if they can get top dollars for that, they grow less wheat.Therefore the price is way up since their is more demand that offer
Also we have to keep in mind, that for the first time in the history of human kind that so little amount of people is in control of so many supply of food. The farmers were so neglected for so many years that we now have way less farmer that control way more food. Think about it like an none intentional cartel. They can set the price they want because we need it.
Last year wheat was the previous season harvest, so the price were okay, This year price is based on last season harvest that was a desaster.. Soooo, Price goes up.
My 2 cents
Happy Baking