The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has issued a tender to import 50,000 tons wheat, to be supplied in bulk. Bids from pre-qualified foreign suppliers will be received by October 29 and opened the same day, the Corporation document said on its Web site (www.tcp.gov.pk), seen on Saturday.
This is the second tender TCP bought 50,000 tons of milling wheat at $445 per ton at a tender early last week. Following a weak response from the pre-qualified parties to the first tender, TCP has invited more international foreign wheat suppliers to get pre-qualified, and they must submit applications by October 24, according to TCP.
Pakistan last month cut its wheat output estimate in the 2006-07 crop year to 23.3 million tons from earlier estimate of 23.5 million tons. Output in 2005-06 was 21.7 million tons. Officials say the country has enough wheat to meet domestic requirements, estimated at 22 million tons a year, and the import of 1 million tons wheat will help meet needs until the new crop starts arriving in mid-February.