India's MMTC postpones tender to buy corn again - trade (updated)

MMTC

21/05/2019 08:34

(Adds detail from paragraph four)
    HAMBURG, May 21 (Reuters) - Indian state-run trading company
MMTC  MMTC.NS  has postponed for the third time a deadline for
offer submissions in an international tender to import yellow
corn, this time to June 6, European traders said on Tuesday.
    The deadline for offers was originally May 8 and had been
postponed to May 15 and then to May 22.
    The tender seeks corn (maize) free of genetically-modified
organisms (GMOs).
    The volume purchased will be decided by MMTC depending on
the level of prices received.
    Traders are being asked to submit offers of at least 20,000
tonnes and a maximum 100,000 tonnes.
    The MMTC is now asking for offers of corn for shipment
between July 1 and July 31. Previous shipment period was June 15
and July 15.
    India used to be a major corn exporter to southeast Asia.
But it has become an importer due to falling output and rising
demand from poultry producers and corn starch manufacturers.
This has raised domestic prices.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N22L40J
    Recent corn import shipments have been reported from
Ukraine, said to be the first in about three years.

 (Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Louise Heavens)
 ((michael.j.hogan@thomsonreuters.com; +49 172 671 36 54;
Reuters Messaging:
michael.hogan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))