Miller Magazine Issue: 119 November 2019

69 ARTICLE MILLER / NOVEMBER 2019 situation, the designing of durum for the high end mar- kets and why this trend will be more important in the coming agricultural campaigns, with a special focus and regard to the production of special durum wheats in Asia and the logistics involved. 1. Durum wheat situation (Sources: IGC, Romacere- ali, USDA, US wheat and others) • Global world production from 30 mln to 35 mln tonnes • Main Producers: EU, Canada and Turkey produce over 50% of global world output • Other Producers: US, Mexico, North Africa, Ka- zakhstan, Africa, Argentina, Australia • Consumption: Over 60% of world output is con- sumed in the Mediterranean area • Trade: From 9 to 12 milion tonnes yearly • Main Exporters: Canada, Mexico, EU, US, Kazakh- stan • Main Producer, Consumer and Importer: Italy, EU • Stocks to Consumption Ratio: 20% actual, histori- cal High 30 %, historical low 12% The above figures show Us that the durum wheat is a small market, but a speciality market. This commodity has a particular use around the world as it is used mainly for pasta, but also for Bulgur, Cous Cous and bread, al special products for the consumer markets. The type of pasta regulated by the EU laws and nor- mative and the high quality requirements ask for a high quality raw material, as high quality durum will give high quality pasta. Durum wheat can be “designed” for this purpose, and just as all design products will fetch a higher price in the market as it will give the answer required by the demand. 2. Italian design, Italian needs for special durum wheat: Each type of pasta has a special design, the pasta will not work otherwise, there are many designs of shapes, calculations of resistance and of hardness and flexibility, a calculation of sizes compared to the mouth size, the cooking time and an infinity of variable parametres that are put into the design of pasta.. So why look into the design of durum wheat? • Each type of pasta requires design, equilibrium of forces and special composition • To achieve this, special types of quality charachteris- tics are required from the semolina • To produce each type of semolina, particular specifi- cations of durum are required • Strength, the “al dente” sensorial taste, the equlibri- um between length and width and height • Balance, Equilibrium, Length/Width Ratio • Bending dry resistance, keeping shape resistance • Pasta is a full design product, both for specifications and for marketing purposes • Pasta sells under design...Durum wheat can be «de- signed» in specifications to meet the industry demand • And the designers come into the field of action 3. What the industry requires? How do the producer will “design” the durum wheat required? The input from the pasta makers and from the millers of durum wheat is not only fundamental for the design of the durum wheat needed, but it will also be fundamental and extremely useful as a marketing tool. The agricultural producer will be taylors making a product required by the industry, and thus will have the absolute certainty that this product will find a place in the good price range if the market.