An Ethiopian state purchasing agency has provisionally bought about 400,000 tonnes of wheat to be sourced from optional origins in an international tender which closed on April 19, European traders said on Monday. It was bought from one trading house. Shipment is two months after the contract award, traders said. Four consignments of 100,000 tonnes were sought.
The winning company, described as a non-mainstream trader, had offered the lowest price of $244.34 a tonne c&f liner out in the tender. Offers submitted by multinational trading houses were at least $6 to $15 higher. Ethiopia has a large wheat import programme to cool domestic prices but has struggled to get some purchases completed because of contractual disagreements.
Results are still awaited for a separate wheat tender from Ethiopia for 600,000 tonnes which closed on April 30. Ethiopia continues to feel the impact of continued drought which devastated farms in some regions.