Bangladesh delays tender for 50,000 tonnes wheat

DHAKA: Bangladesh's state grains buyer has delayed by 10 days the opening date for a tender to buy 50,000 tonnes of wheat due to storage constraints, a procurement official said on Monday.

"The new date for the opening of offers will be Dec. 22 instead of Dec. 12 and the offers will remain valid until Jan. 3," the official said.

The tender was issued on Nov. 27, with shipment within 40 days after signing the deal.

Total government rice and wheat stocks stand at more than 1.5 million tonnes, double a year ago and the highest in a decade. The official said a large, unspecified amount of grains would be used for various welfare programmes.