(Adds cost and freight offers)
CAIRO, July 12 (Reuters) - Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), received offers from 13 trading firms at its wheat tender on Tuesday, a significant rise in interest after a ministerial decree resolved a long-standing dispute on import specifications.
Only five trading firms participated in GASC's previous purchasing tender on April 12. ID:nL5N17F2SJ
"Offers in the GASC tender are now back to normal numbers seen before the ergot crisis," one European trader said.
Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, has seen its enormous grain purchasing programme disrupted over the past six months after different government agencies issued conflicting quality rules about ergot, a common grain fungus.
A ministerial decree, which came into effect on Tuesday, ended the saga by imposing a commonly accepted international tolerance level for the fungus of up to 0.05 percent. ID:nL8N19X3BY
The lowest offer at Tuesday's tender was $161.84 a tonne, free-on-board for 60,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat.
Tuesday's tender, for which results are due later in the day, is the first under the leadership of newly appointed GASC vice chairman Ahmed Youssef. wheat purchase will also mark the first of the new financial year 2016/2017 which started on July 1.
The tender is seeking wheat for Aug. 10-20 shipment.
For a graphic on Egypt's wheat imports, click on http://tmsnrt.rs/29iKeu9
Traders said these offers were made in the tender in dollars a tonne FOB:
*Olam: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $169.96
*Casillo Commodities: 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat at $172.23
*Venus: 55,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat at $167.50
*MidGulf: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $175
*Noble: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $172.10
*Union: 55,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $174.5
*Union: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $174
*Cerealcom Dolj: 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat at $172.9
*ADM: 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat at $171.37
*ADM: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $174.50
*Louis Dreyfus: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $164.24
*Louis Dreyfus: 60,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat at $161.84
*Alegrow: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $173.74
*Ameropa: 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat at $169.33
*Ameropa: 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat at $169.33
*Aston: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $167.44
*Daewoo: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $174.75
Traders also said they estimated the lowest cost and freight prices (C&F), based on ocean shipping price offers from the Egyptian shipping line, Egyptian National Navigation Company as follows:
*Louis Dreyfus: 60,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat at $161.84 a tonne FOB and $10.35 a tonne freight equating to $172.19 a tonne C&F
*Louis Dreyfus: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $164.24 a tonne FOB and $9.18 a tonne freight equating to $173.42 a tonne C&F
*Aston: 60,000 tonnes of Russian wheat at $167.44 a tonne FOB and $9.18 a tonne freight equating to $176.62 a tonne C&F
*Ameropa: 60,000 tonnes of Romanian wheat at $169.33 a tonne FOB and $7.99 a tonne freight equating to $177.32 a tonne C&F
*Venus: 55,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat at $169.50 a tonne FOB and $13.67 a tonne freight equating to $181.17 a tonne C&F