TOKYO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture bought a total of 140,729 tonnes of food quality wheat from the United States, Canada and Australia in a regular tender that closed 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 three times a month.
Details are as follows (in tonnes):
COUNTRY
TYPE
QUANTITY
U.S.
Western White
14,894*
Hard Red Winter
8,505*
(semi hard)
Dark Northern Spring
37,630*
(protein minimum 14.0 pct)
Canada
Western Red Spring
24,650*
(protein minimum 12.5 pct)
Western Red Spring
24,920*
(protein minimum 12.5 pct)
Australia
Standard White
30,130**
(West Australia)
Shipments:
* Loading between Feb. 21 and March 20
** Loading between March 1 and March 31
Source: Ministry of Agriculture