The South African baking industry has long recognised that the quality of the flour it uses is very variable. A team of CCFRA cereals experts was therefore invited to contribute to a Grain Chain Workshop, held at Anchor Yeast, Johannesburg. With the ambitious aim of helping to improve the quality of flours throughout South Africa, it attracted around 50 delegates including breeders, grain merchants, millers, bakers and retailers. It was supported by the South Africa Chamber of Baking and the National Chamber of Milling, with the opening and closing addresses by Jannie de Villiers, who heads both chambers.

The workshop culminated in a discussion forum which reached a consensus: achieving consistent flour quality is the most important aim, and to achieve this we must understand the properties of individual wheat varieties and preserve their identity through the distribution chain.