HAMBURG: Turkey’s state grain board TMO has purchased 550,000 tonnes of wheat in a tender for the same volume, which closed on Wednesday, traders said.

Turkey continues an active period of grain importing to cool local price and support the country’s large flour export programme.

The tender sought wheat with differing protein content for shipment between Nov. 24 and Dec. 18 to a series of ports in Turkey, they said.

Traders said 60,000 tonnes for shipment to the port of Derince was bought from trading house Aston at $269.90 a tonne c&f; 30,000 tonnes for shipment to Derince was bought from GTCS at $269.80 a tonne c&f; 60,000 tonnes to Iskenderun from Rolweg at $274.20 a tonnes c&f; and 30,000 tonnes to Iskenderun from GTCS at $274.20 a tonne c&f. All had 12.5% protein content.

Some 20,000 tonnes was bought for shipment to Trabzon from Aston at $269.80 a tonne c&f.

Another 30,000 tonnes with 13.5% protein content for shipment to Mersin was bought from Glencore at $277.70 a tonne c&f; 30,000 tonnes with 12.5% protein content for shipment to Mersin from Aston at $274.40 a tonne c&f; and 30,000 tonnes with 12.5% protein for Mersin was bought from GTCS at $274.60 a tonne c&f.

An additional 30,000 tonnes of 12.5% protein for shipment to Izmir was bought from Dreyfus at $275.90 a tonne c&f while 30,000 tonnes of 12.5% protein also for shipment to Izmir was bought from GTCS at $275 a tonne c&f.

Some 25,000 tonnes with 13.5% protein for shipment to Bandirma was bought from Orsett at $273.90 a tonne c&f and 25,000 tonnes of 12.5% protein for shipment to Bandirma was bought from GTCS at $271 a tonne c&f.

Another 30,000 tonnes of 12.5% for shipment to Tekirdag was bought from Orsett at $272.45 a tonne c&f; 30,000 tonnes of 12.5% for Tekirdag was bought from GTCS at $272.45 a tonne c&f and 30,000 tonnes of 12.5% for Tekirdag was bought from Sierentz at $272.45 a tonne c&f.

Shipments bought for Samsun comprised 30,000 tonnes of 12.5% from Ulusoy at $268.87 a tonne c&f and 30,000 tonnes of 12.5% from GTCS at $268.85 a tonne c&f.

Traders suspected a substantial part of the purchase would be sourced from Russia.

The tonnages purchased and prices are subject to final confirmation in the coming days, the traders said.—Reuters