March 10, 2005

Australia to supply Egypt with 60,000 tonnes of wheat

Australian wheat exporter AWB Ltd. won the right to supply Egypt's General Authority for Supply Commodities, or GASC, with 60,000 tonnes of wheat in its latest tender, Ryan McKinlay, an AWB spokesman, said Wednesday.

He did not disclose further details on the tender, including the price GASC paid.

In a Dow Jones report on Tuesday from Cairo quoting export sources, the Australian wheat was offered at a tender for soft wheat done on a free-on-board basis at $145.20 a tonne.

The deal was said to have taken place shortly after GASC announced a deal on Saturday for French wheat through its normal tender process. That purchase was for 60,000 tonnes of French wheat at $129.95/tonne, FOB.

As with the French deal, the Australian grain was said to have been for April 15-30 shipment.

Australia is a major supplier of wheat to Egypt.