The global rise in the cost of wheat is threatening local flour prices. Chief executive officer of the National Flour Mills (NFM), Kelvin Mahabir, says if wheat prices on the international market continue on an upward trend, the company would be unable to stave off increasing the price of flour. NFM last raised prices in 2008. Wheat accounts for about 60 to 65 per cent of NFM’s total imports and that about 45 per cent of the company’s wheat imports comes from dark, northern spring wheat, which has a protein content of 13 per cent or higher protein.