TOKYO, March 21 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to buy a total of 117,689 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 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.
Hard Red Winter (semi hard)
28,500*
Dark Northern Spring
28,600*
(protein minimum 14.0 pct)
Canada
Western Red Spring
35,729***
(protein minimum 13.5 pct)
Australia
Standard White (West Australia) 24,860**
Shipments:
* Loading between April 21 and May 20
**Loading between May 1 and May 31
***Loading between May 21 and June 20
Source: Ministry of Agriculture