Ethiopia tenders to acquire 70,000 tonnes wheat

The Ethiopian government has issued an international tender to purchase 70,000 tonnes of milling wheat, European traders said on Monday.

The tender deadline is January 5, they said.

Finance for the purchase has been provided by the World Bank, traders said.

Ethiopia has issued a series of wheat tenders in recent months, including a giant 1 million tonne purchase in October.

Failed rains during spring and summer 2015 sparked food and water shortages in the African nation, which boasts one of the continent's highest growth rates but depends heavily on farming.

The United Nations has said 8 million people in the country of 96 million will need food aid but the number could rise to 15 million in early 2016, owing to shortages exacerbated by the effects of the El Nino weather pattern.