The ministry had sought 120,000 tonnes of feed wheat and 200,000 tonnes of feed barley to be loaded by February 8, 2019 and arrive in Japan by March 7 in the tender that is usually conducted weekly.

It is seeking the same amounts for each grain to be loaded by February 15 and arrive in Japan by March 14 in a similar tender that will be held on January 9, 2019. It will skip auctions in the next two weeks due to Christmas and New Year holidays.

Japan buys and sells its feed wheat and barley via so-called SBS auctions, in which end-users and importers specify the origin, price and quantity of grain, allowing millers to meet their varied needs for the feed grain.