TOKYO: Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to buy a total of 138,188 tonnes of food quality wheat from the United States, Canada and Australia in a regular tender that will close late on Thursday.
Japan, the world’s sixth-biggest wheat importer, keeps a tight grip on imports of the country’s second most important staple after rice, and buys the majority of the grain for milling via tenders typically issued thrice a month. Details are as follows (in tonnes):
COUNTRY TYPE Quantity U.S. Western White 19,507* Hard Red Winter (semi hard) 25,490* Dark Northern Spring 31,360* (protein minimum 14.0 pct) Canada Western Red Spring 30,271** (protein minimum 13.5 pct) Australia Standard White (West Australia) 31,560*** Shipments: * Loading between June 21 and July 20 **Loading between July 21 and Aug 20 ***Loading between July 1 and July 31 Source: Ministry of Agriculture