Japan buys 91,188 tonnes of food wheat via tender

TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture bought 91,188 tonnes of food-quality wheat from the United States and Australia in a regular tender that closed late on Thursday.

The ministry said on last Friday it suspended its tender and sale of wheat from Canada after grain containing a genetically modified trait was discovered last summer in Canada's Alberta province.

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 thrice a month.

Details are as follows (in tonnes):

 COUNTRY       TYPE                                               QUANTITY      
 U.S.          Western White                                         19,070  * 
 U.S.          Hard Red Winter(semi hard)                            23,380  * 
 U.S.          Dark Northern Spring(protein minimum 14.0%)           23,493  * 
 Australia     Standard White(West Australia)                        25,245  * 
 Shipment *Loading between Aug. 1 and 31, 2018 

Source: Ministry of Agriculture