Japan tenders to buy 312,816 tonnes of food wheat

    TOKYO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Japan's Ministry of Agriculture 
offered on Tuesday to buy a total of 312,816 tonnes of food 
quality wheat from the United States, Canada 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                20,925* 
                      Hard Red Winter              18,360** 
                      (Semi-hard) 
                      Hard Red Winter              31,950* 
                      (Semi-hard)     
                      Dark Northern Spring          28,489** 
                      (Protein minimum 14.0 pct) 
                      Dark Northern Spring          24,030* 
                      (Protein minimum 14.0 pct) 
                      Dark Northern Spring          29,935*** 
                      (Protein minimum 14.0 pct)     
    Canada            Western Red Spring             23,400**** 
                      (protein minimum 12.5 pct)     
                      Western Red Spring             28,655**** 
                      (protein minimum 12.5 pct)     
                      Western Red Spring             27,760**** 
                      (protein minimum 12.5 pct)     
                      Western Red Spring             23,942**** 
                      (protein minimum 12.5 pct)     
                      Western Red Spring             24,420**** 
                      (protein minimum 12.5 pct)     
    Australia         Standard White              30,950***** 
                      (West Australia)                
    Shipments: *Loading between March 21 and April 20;  
               **Loading between Feb. 21 and March 20; 
               ***Loading between April 21 and May 20; 
               ****Arrival by June 30; 
               *****Loading between April 1-30; 
 
 (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Prateek Chatterjee) 
 ((osamu.tsukimori@thomsonreuters.com)(+813 6441 1857)(Reuters 
Messaging: osamu.tsukimori.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: JAPAN WHEAT/TENDER