BEIRUT: Syria's state grains agency, the General Establishment for Cereal Processing and Trade (Hoboob), has issued a tender to purchase 200,000 tonnes of soft bread wheat, it said on Thursday.

The wheat can be sourced from Russia, Romania or Bulgaria, with shipment sought between Oct. 15 and Dec. 15. The tender allows partial shipment but not less than 100,000 tonnes, it said in a faxed statement.

The deadline for submitting tenders is Sept. 17 and requires payment in Syrian pounds.

Syria has said it is looking to import 1.5 million tonnes of mainly Russian wheat to fill its supply gap this year.

Russia exported 76,500 tonnes of wheat to Syria in 2017/18, official customs data shows.

That figure does not fully include supplies from Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 and which has been helping Syria with its wheat. Crimea's crop, however, has been hit by drought this year and has been calling for a suspension of exports.