India finalises to buy 1.2 mln tonnes wheat from two tenders

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, June 2 (UNI) Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said the Government has finalised purchase of 1.2 million tonnes of wheat from two import tenders.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Pawar said the Government had earlier floated a tender and will soon float fresh tenders for the remaining 2.3 million tonnes of wheat, to boost the depleting buffer stocks.

For the tender floated earlier, eight companies had submitted their bids but only two of them had emerged successful due to stringent conditions applied to the tenders which lacked the interest of bidders, sources said.

''We had decided to import 3.5 million tonnes. But, now we have practically finalised for 1.2 million tonnes of imports,'' the Minister said.

Last week, it was said that bids from Australia's AWB Ltd and Russian-owned Agrico Trade and Finance had met quality criteria for supply of wheat under the fresh three million tonnes tender.

A tender for import of 5,00,000 tonnes of wheat was awarded to Australia's AWB in March, but till now only about one lakh tonnes of that wheat has arrived in the country.

On the question of whether the Government will allow flour mills to import wheat, Mr Pawar said the Government wanted to first replenish its reserve stocks before taking any decision in this regard.

This year, procurement remained weak as farmers hoarded their harvests in expectation of rise in prices.

UNI BBS CS DS1650

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