What happened to that Pakistani white wheat tender?

Farm and Ranch March 5, 2009 Remember a month ago or so that Pakistan was tendering for 250-thousand metric tons of Pacific Northwest soft white wheat. That tender kept getting delayed and delayed and delayed. Alan Tracy, president of U.S. Wheat Associates says there were tender specification issues. Tracy: “They changed a number of things. We had progress on a number of areas but it is sort of like getting the coffee an inch from your lip. They would not change a couple of their last things and as a result the sellers would not offer to them. So that continues in limbo. I don‘t know if they are actually going to end of buying now or not. Their situation keeps changing. We have in effect lost that opportunity despite everybody‘s best efforts.” And the wheat harvest in Pakistan will begin next month. Tracy: “That is right and they are actually expecting a pretty good crop. Of course everybody expects a good crop when they start out, but if that happens they may not need much this next year.” John Oades of U.S. Wheat Associates Portland, Oregon office says it was quality issues that were the stumbling block in the Pakistan tender. One thing the Pakistanis had specified was something called a W value. Dave Shelton of the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland says that relates to gluten strength. It requires an alveograph for testing, not something that can be done while loading a vessel. He says you would have to find out up country what that W value is. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.