March 11, 2005

Japan buys 170,000 tonnes of wheat in tender

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) bought 170,000 tonnes of milling wheat in a weekly tender concluded Thursday, a Tokyo-based wheat trader said.

MAFF bought 105,000 tonnes of US wheat, 45,000 tonnes of Canadian wheat and 20,000 tonnes of Australian wheat, the trader said.

Two cargoes of US Dark Northern Spring wheat - one 20,000 tonnes and the other 25,000 tonnes - are to be shipped April 16-May 15, the trader said.

All other cargoes are to be shipped in May, the trader added.

Below are details of the buy tender:

Quantity   Variety                        Origin

(tonnes)     (% of protein)

15,000     Western White                US

16,000     Hard Red Winter 11.5%   US

74,000     Dark Northern Spring      US

26,000     No. 1 West 12.5%         Canada

19,000     Durum Wheat               Canada

20,000     Standard White            Australia