TOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture bought a total of 153,156 tonnes of food quality wheat from the United States, Canada and Australia in a regular tender that closed late on Friday.
A tender is normally executed on Thursday. However, it was postponed to Friday this week due to a holiday on Thursday, an official with the ministry said.
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
34,060*
Dark Northern Spring
24,851***
(protein minimum 14.0 pct)
Canada
Western Red Spring
24,375***
(protein minimum 13.5 pct)
Western Red Spring
35,255*
(protein minimum 13.5 pct)
Australia
Standard White (West Australia) 34,615**
Shipments:
* Loading between Dec.21, 2016 and Jan.20, 2017
** Loading between Mar. 1, 2017 and Mar. 31, 2017
*** Arrival by Feb.28, 2017
Source: Ministry of Agriculture