High prices and limited supplies were cited by the International Grains Council (IGC) in estimating that global trade in wheat flour in 2010-11 fell 10% from the previous year's peak.

Also, in its first forecast of world flour exports for the 2011-12 season just under way, the IGC pointed to the likelihood of a 2% rebound that would still leave the export total well below the record.

The IGC placed world flour exports in 2010-11 at 11,370,000 tonnes in wheat equivalent (marginally above 180 million cwts in terms of flour), compared with the record high of 12,685,000 tonnes in 2009-10.

Last year's shipments also fell short of 12,331,000 in 1998-99 and 11,849,000 in 1997-98. The latter was the first crop year in which exports exceeded 11 million tonnes of wheat equivalent, reported world-grain.com.