TOKYO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture bought a total of 146,721 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
10,300*
Hard Red Winter(semi hard)
14,000*
Western White
16,570*
Hard Red Winter(semi hard)
15,615*
Dark Northern Spring
24,870*
(protein minimum 14.0 pct)
Canada
Western Red Spring
34,746*
(protein minimum 12.5 pct)
Australia
Standard White
30,620**
(West Australia)
Shipments:
* Loading between Sept. 21 and Oct. 20
**Loading between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31
Source: Ministry of Agriculture