Japan buys 179,343 tonnes food wheat via tender

    TOKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture 
bought a total of 179,343 tonnes of food quality wheat from the 
United States and Australia in a regular tender that closed late 
on Thursday. 
    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               34,150* 
                      Hard Red Winter             24,580* 
                      (Semi-hard) 
                      Dark Northern Spring        32,517* 
                      (Protein minimum 14.0 pct) 
    Australia         Standard White              24,650** 
                      (West Australia)                
                      Standard White              28,700** 
                      (West Australia)            
                      Standard White              34,746** 
                      (West Australia)            
    Shipments: *Loading between Feb 21 and March 20;  
              **Loading between March 1 and March 31 
    Source: Ministry of Agriculture  
 
 (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi) 
 ((Yuka.Obayashi@thomsonreuters.com)(+813-6441-1798)(Reuters 
Messaging: yuka.obayashi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: JAPAN WHEAT/TENDER