Algeria buys 800,000 tonnes milling wheat

Algerian state grain buyer OAIC bought 800,000 tonnes milling wheat from optional origins at its third tender for milling wheat this month, European traders said on Wednesday. The purchase brings the volume of milling wheat bought by Algiers since the start of January to at least 1.75 million tonnes. Over the past five weeks the north African state has in addition bought at least 800,000 tonnes durum wheat.

OAIC later confirmed the purchase, while agriculture minister Rachid Benaissa was quoted by Algeria's official APS news agency as saying its wheat purchases were not exceptional but just a measure to build up stocks. Algeria has ordered an urgent acceleration of wheat imports, aiming to snuff out unrest over food prices which has helped oust Tunisia's leader and sent protesters onto the streets of its north African neighbours. Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia issued an instruction on January 16 to the agency to speed up imports of soft and durum wheat, a government source who hads seen the instruction said earlier on Wednesday. In the tender, which closed on Tuesday, Algiers paid around $380 a tonne, cost and freight included, they said. Shipment was split between 150,000 tonnes for March, 450,000 tonnes for May and 200,000 tonnes for June, they added.