Algeria tenders to buy nominal 50,000 T soft milling wheat

Algeria’s state grains agency OAIC has issued an international tender to buy soft milling wheat to be sourced from optional origins, European traders said on Monday.

The tender sought a nominal 50,000 metric tons but Algeria often buys considerably more in its tenders than the nominal volume sought.

The deadline for submission of price offers in the tender is Wednesday, May 14, with price offers having to remain valid until Thursday, May 15.

The wheat is sought for shipment in two periods from the main supply regions including Europe: July 1-15 and July 16-31. If sourced from South America or Australia, shipment is one month earlier.

Algeria is a vital customer for wheat from the European Union, especially France, but Russian and other Black Sea region exporters have been expanding strongly in the Algerian market.

Traders say a diplomatic rift between France and Algeria led the grains agency to tacitly exclude French wheat and trading companies from its purchase tenders.

In its last reported milling wheat tender on April 16, the OAIC bought an estimated 570,000 tons largely expected to be sourced from the Black Sea region.

Tags: tender, shipment, OAIC, soft milling wheat, Algeria