DHAKA: Bangladesh's state grains buyer issued an international tender on Tuesday to import 50,000 tonnes of milling wheat to boost reserves, a procurement official said.
The deadline to submit offers is April 10, with validity up to April 24, said the official at the Directorate General of Food, Bangladesh's state grains purchasing agency.
Wheat with 12.5 percent protein content was sought for shipment 40 days after the contract signing and the grain can be supplied from any worldwide origin except Israel.
Offers should be on cost and freight liner out terms, which includes provisions for ship unloading.
"The new year has started with very strong wheat import demand from Bangladesh with repeated issuing of tenders in January, February and March," one European trader said.
"The Bangladeshi import requirement looks even stronger than previously thought. Prices are also currently looking attractive."
Global wheat prices have fallen sharply since mid-February, hitting a one-year low in early March on large global inventories, but have since recovered slightly.
A report from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in December estimated Bangladesh's wheat import requirements in the 2018/19 season at a record high of around 6 million tonnes, some 34 percent above the previous five-year average following steady increases since 2012/13.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in early March forecast Bangladesh's 2018/19 season wheat imports even higher at 6.5 million tonnes.
The strong demand for wheat reflects a shift in consumer preferences towards bread as well as increasing use of wheat as a substitute for more expensive rice, the FAO said.
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