Iraq has tendered to buy further large amounts of U.S. and Australian hard wheat and U.S., Thai and Vietnamese rice, an official with the Iraqi Grain Board said Thursday.

Iraq's Trade Minister Abdul Basset Mawlood was quoted by local press as saying that Baghdad was seeking 1 million MT of hard wheat and 300,000 MT of rice.

Iraq has invited several U.S. companies and Australia's AWB (AWB.AU) to bid for the tender. Baghdad has invited U.S., Thai and Vietnamese companies to bid for a tender to supply thousands of tons of rice.

The closing date for both tenders is Sept. 25, with delivery slated for late 2005 or early 2006.