CAIRO/HAMBURG- Syria's state grain import agency bought about 200,000 tonnes of Russian wheat in an international tender which closed this week, an official source said on Wednesday.
The General Establishment for Cereal Processing and Trade (Hoboob) purchased the wheat at $224.50 per tonne c&f free out Syrian ports, the source said.
European traders also reported the same purchase.
The tender had sought wheat sourced from Russia, Romania or Bulgaria.
Shipment is for between Oct. 15 and Dec. 15. The tender allows partial shipment but not less than 100,000 tonnes.
Syria is planning to import around 1.5 million tonnes of mostly Russian wheat this year to fill a supply shortfall.
Syria, which was once self-sufficient in wheat under a state-promoted farming policy, has seen a drastic fall in crop output since civil war broke out in 2011.
(Reporting by Maha el Dahan and Michael Hogan, additional reporting by Polina Devitt in Moscow; editing by Jason Neely) ((michael.j.hogan@thomsonreuters.com; +49 40 419 03 4275; Reuters Messaging: michael.hogan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
