Japan tenders to buy 179,343 tonnes of food wheat

    TOKYO, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture 
offered on Tuesday to buy a total of 179,343 tonnes of food 
quality wheat from the United States and Australia in a regular 
Thursday-closing tender. 
    Japan, the world's sixth-biggest wheat importer, keeps a 
tight grip on imports of its 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 
 
 (Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) 
 ((james.topham@thomsonreuters.com)(+813 6441 1858)(Reuters 
Messaging: james.topham.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: JAPAN WHEAT/TENDER