No New Wheat Imports

The State Trading Corporation yesterday said it had no information on reports that India would soon tender for fresh wheat imports. We have had many queries about the reports, but we have no information, an STC official said. STC will just carry out the existing contracts. An attache report released overnight by the US Agriculture Department said there were unconfirmed trade reports that STC would soon be tendering for half a million tonnes of wheat for shipment before March 31. STC was waiting for permission from the food ministry, which was likely to be granted soon, the report said. Attache reports are not official USDA data. The STC has already bought the authorised amount in 1997-98. The last shipment is due to arrive soon, an official said earlier.