Japan Seeks to Purchase 52,200 Tons of Food Wheat in SBS Tender

By Aya Takada

Oct. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Japan, Asia’s largest wheat importer, is seeking to buy 52,200 tons of food wheat and 31,700 tons of food barley on Oct. 29 through a tender system introduced to loosen government controls over grain imports.

Shipment must be made by Jan. 31, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

The tender will be held under the so-called simultaneous buy and sell system, in which Japanese food makers and trading companies jointly bid for grains of any country and quality.

The ministry has bought a total of 174,911 tons of food wheat and 105,798 tons of food barley through SBS tenders this fiscal year. It purchased 258,754 tons of food wheat and 260,386 tons of food barley in SBS tenders in the year ended March 31.

To contact the reporter on this story: Aya Takada in Tokyo atakada2@bloomberg.net