TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to buy a total of 162,286 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 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
20,501*
Hard Red Winter (semi hard)
8,955*
Hard Red Winter (semi hard)
34,170*
Dark Northern Spring
34,910*
(protein minimum 14.0 pct)
Canada
Western Red Spring
28,620**
(protein minimum 13.5 pct)
Australia
Standard White (West Australia)
35,130 ***
Shipments:
* Loading between July 21 and August 20
**Loading between August 21 and September 20
***Loading between August 1 and August 31
Source: Ministry of Agriculture