TOKYO, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture bought a total of 150,817 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
10,800*
Hard Red Winter
13,260*
(semi hard)
Hard Red Winter
26,200*
(semi hard)
(Dark) Northern Spring
34,600*
(protein minimum 14.0 pct)
Canada
Western Red Spring
32,927*
(protein minimum 13.5 pct)
Australia
Standard White
33,030**
(West Australia)
Shipments:
* Loading between Mar 21 and April 20
** Loading between May 1 and May 31
Source: Ministry of Agriculture