The price of flour

**YankeeMom** · 02-19-2008, 09:39 AM

You know it's high when it's making the news!
Food Sellers Eat the Hike in Flour Prices

In December 2006, a bushel of wheat cost $4.51, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In December 2007, the price was $7.74.
Last week, tight supplies, high demand and droughts in growing areas throughout the world drove wheat prices to record highs, more than double what they were a year ago.

**elphaba** · 02-19-2008, 09:45 AM

This is getting ridiculous...now it's not even frugal for me to bake bread or cookies between the price of flour, eggs and butter. I bought a 25 lb bag of flour at Sam's for $7.99 on 2/08/08...just checked the price...it's now $8.13. I go through ALOT of flour...this is gonna hurt!

BTW....this is my local newspaper...I am familiar with all these businesses!

**momofslg** · 02-19-2008, 09:47 AM

I hate it when the staple items go up. Those of us who cook and bake from scratch are really getting hurt. Why can't they pass the cost along to only items who are premade/prepackaged, it seems people don't really mind spending more on these type items or they would only buy staples and cook from scratch.

**suki** · 02-19-2008, 09:48 AM

Oh, the costs will be passed along... don't worry.

**imforpeace** · 02-19-2008, 10:28 AM

Yes. My hubby sells to restaurants and they give him such a hard time about the price of flour. One even accused him of price gouging. He explains that it's not his company raising the prices, but I guess not everyone reads the paper!

**Lady_V** · 02-19-2008, 10:32 AM

Argh... it's not like there is a cheaper alternative to flour.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 02-20-2008, 12:03 AM

I hope it levels out soon... Things are getting so terribly expensive. Adding the shipping (high gas prices) to the increasing food costs is REALLY hurting up here.

**Jskell911** · 02-20-2008, 06:04 AM

I had noticed this the last time DH shopped at the commissary. They price of a 5lb bag was about .25 more and he bought 4 bags because he couldn't find the larger bags there!

**TheRootedNomad** · 02-20-2008, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by Lady_V

Argh... it's not like there is a cheaper alternative to flour.

No there's not ...and for me baking from scratch and having a garden is one thing .....growing my own wheat and milling it into flour are not something I think I could do. Now the chickens on the olther hand (to deal with the egg prices) that may eventually be a possibility for me.

**quiltergirl** · 02-20-2008, 07:15 AM

In fact there are alternatives to wheat flour but they are not cheaper -- in fact they can get pretty expensive. As someone with a wheat allergy all that's just part of my life. I doubt that your wheat flour will ever be as expensive as my alternatives.

**molly** · 02-20-2008, 08:47 AM

Don't be fooled into thinking it's going to get any better any time soon because its not. I was just reading this article, while long it is very eye opening.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...xIE&refer=home

excerpt...The Department of Agriculture predicted Feb. 8 that U.S. stockpiles for the 12 months through May will drop 40 percent to the lowest since 1948 as global production lags behind consumption for the seventh year in eight. Droughts and rain damaged crops in Australia, France and the U.S. last year, thwarting bets that higher prices would reverse the trend by encouraging bigger harvests.

...The American Bakers Association, a trade group that represents about 85 percent of wholesale bakeries in the U.S., said increased global demand is raising ``serious food-security issues'' and urged the government to curb wheat exports

Stockpile Reserves

``We alerted USDA a year ago that wheat was going to be in short supply, and now three of the five wheat categories are extremely short,'' the association said in a statement on its Web site. ``Other countries are stockpiling their strategic grain reserves. The United States should do the same until USDA can ensure adequate supply.''