Japan buys 146,000 tonnes food wheat via tender

TOKYO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture bought a total of 146,000 tonnes of food quality wheat from the United States, Canada and Australia in a regular tender that closed late on Wednesday.

A tender is normally announced on Tuesday and executed on Thursday. However, the schedule was changed this week due to a local 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                 7,450*  
                      Hard Red Winter              22,630*  
                      (semi hard)  
                      Western White            24,300*  
    Canada            Western Red Spring            29,830*  
                      (protein minimum 13.5 pct)  
    Australia         Standard White                34,080**  
                      (West Australia)  
                      Standard White            27,710***  
                      (West Australia)  
    Shipment *  Loading between March 21 and April 20  

               ** Loading between April 1 and April 30  
               ***Loading between May 1 and May 31  
       
    Source: Ministry of Agriculture