BAGHDAD: Iraq's trade ministry said on Wednesday it bought 100,000 tonnes of wheat and 90,000 tonnes of rice in direct deals, outside of the international tendering process.
Of the total, Iraq bought 50,000 tonnes of US wheat and 50,000 tonnes of Australian wheat, Mohamed Hanoun, spokesman for the ministry told Reuters.
The rice that Iraq purchased was from Vietnam, he said.
The ministry did not give a price for the purchases but said strategic stocks of both grains would last up to February or March 2019 as a result of the deals.
Traders had earlier reported the rice purchase at $577 a tonne, cost and freight (C&F).
Apart from the direct contracts, the ministry is also tendering for 30,000 tonnes of rice with a deadline of Oct. 1 for submitting offers.
Iraq is also seeking 50,000 tonnes of wheat in an international purchasing tender at which traders said Canadian wheat was offered at the lowest price of $337 a tonne, cost, insurance and freight (CIF).
No result has been announced yet for that tender.
The trade ministry imports millions of tonnes of wheat and rice annually as millions of Iraqis depend on the government's extensive subsidised food system.
Iraq's cabinet last year authorised the ministry to make direct purchases of wheat and rice, in addition to its international purchasing tenders, to guarantee food security.
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