DUBAI - Saudi Arabia has issued an international tender to purchase 1.02 million tonnes of animal feed barley, the main state grain buyer Saudi Grains Organization (SAGO) said on Thursday.

The kingdom sought to import barley between May 15 and June 30, SAGO said, adding it would cover local demand and maintain its strategic stockpile.

SAGO governor Ahmad Al Fares said in a statement the tender deadline was Friday, March 23.

SAGO said it was seeking a total of 17 shiploads of around 60,000 tonnes for arrival in May and June.

Shipments are distributed between the Red Sea port of Jeddah and the Gulf port of Dammam. Individual shiploads can be 10 percent more or less than 60,000 tonnes.

European traders separately gave these detailed arrival periods: May 13-30: 180,000 tonnes Red Sea in three ships, 180,000 tonnes Gulf in three ships June 1-15: 180,000 tonnes Red Sea in three ships, 120,000 tonnes Gulf in two ships June 13-30: 240,000 tonnes Red Sea in four ships, 120,000 tonnes Gulf in two ships

Traders said they expected tender results on Monday, March 26.

In its last reported barley tender on Feb. 19, SAGO bought 960,000 tonnes.

SAGO, previously known as the General Silos and Flour Mills Organisation (GSFMO), was assigned the task of securing feed barley imports for Saudi Arabia in autumn 2016.

(Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh and Michael Hogan, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Mark Potter) ((Hadeel.AlSayegh@thomsonreuters.com; +971566883310;))