Syria buys 3.15 million tonnes wheat locally

Syria's state grains agency has bought 3.15 million tonnes of soft and hard wheat from the local market in 2005, of which about a fourth would be earmarked for export, an agency official said on Tuesday.
The official said about 55 percent of the wheat bought in 2005 is soft wheat, usually used for bread, and the rest is hard and durum wheat's. The state-owned agency is by lapwing the sole buyer and exporter of wheat in the socialist republic.
The export plan for 2006 will be finalised in a few weeks, said the official. In 2004, the Establishment bought about 3.6 million tonnes of wheat, he said.