The United Nations World Food Programme has awarded 270,000 tonnes of US and Argentine hard milling wheat for Iraq after issuing an international tender for 450,000 tonnes, a grain market source said on Wednesday.
Rome-based WFP, the world's biggest food aid agency, awarded about 160,000 tonnes of US hard red winter wheat and 110,000 tonnes of Argentine hard milling wheat, said the source, who asked not to be identified.
The tender ran from March 4 to 8. The wheat, expected to arrive by around May, will be used to make bread.
The source also confirmed reports by US grain exporters that the WFP issued on Tuesday another international tender seeking to buy 630,000 tonnes of hard milling quality wheat for Iraq. The new tender would more than cover the amount not awarded from the previous tender.
The wheat is scheduled for shipment in two cargoes of 315,000 tonnes each, from May 1 to May 31, and June 1 to June 30, the source said. The tender closes on March 23.
The source said on Saturday that the WFP late on Friday awarded Thai rice in an international tender for 152,500 tonnes of rice as food aid for Iraq. The rice tender was open from March 4 to 8.
The source also confirmed a comment by a WFP official on Tuesday that the agency is likely to award its tender for 200,000 tonnes plus or minus 10 percent of white sugar for Iraq by Friday.
The international tender for the sugar opened on March 9 and closed on Monday.
The sugar will be delivered in three cargoes of more or less equal tonnages in April, May and June.
The source gave no details of further food tenders for Iraq.