May 9, 2007

India's STC extends wheat import deadline by 15 days

Government owned firm State Trading Corporation (STC) in India has extended the deadline for supply of imported wheat by two weeks until August 15 from the original date of July 31.

STC had on April 30 floated a global tender for import of one million tonnes of wheat by July-end to fill a possible supply shortfall.

The last date of submission of bids as well as the opening of the tender has also been extended by 11 days to May 21, according to a notice posted at the company's website.

After a six-year gap, India has first imported 55 lakh tonnes of the foodgrain last year and is now on its second year of importation to augment local stocks for distributing under PDS (public distribution system) and other welfare schemes.

The STC said the imported wheat consignments would be offloaded at designated ports of Mundra, Kandla, Chennai, Tuticorin and Vishakhapatnam or Kakinada, as the grain should be of crop year 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 of any country of origin.

STC wants to import 3.2 lakh tonnes of wheat at Mundra, 2.4 lakh tonnes at Kandla, 2 lakh tonnes at Chennai, 1.6 lakh tonnes at Vishakhapatnam or Kakinada and 80,000 tonnes at Tuticorin.