KARACHI, Dec 4: The state-run Trading Corporation of Pakistan has issued a tender to sell 50,000 tons of milling wheat from government-owned stocks, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The deadline for bids is December 11.

“We have fixed a minimum price of $113 per ton for the tender,” the official told Reuters.

The wheat offered for sale is from the 2001-02 crop, owned by the Punjab government.

In its last tender, the TCP sold 50,000 tons of milling wheat at $125.15 per ton FOB Karachi in November.

Pakistan, which has exported 363,916 tons of wheat during the first three months of the fiscal year 2002-03, said last month it planned to export another 350,000 tons by December 31.

Islamabad began to export for the first time last year when it sold 1.164 million tons after a bumper crop. Of that, 608,646 tons was sold by the private sector in 2001-02, mostly to Middle East and African countries.

Pakistan produced 19.16 million tons of wheat during the 2002 crop season from 18.9 million tons in the crop year to May 2001. It has carryover stocks of 2.8 million tons.—Reuters