But international wheat shipments to Indonesia would have to resume soon as the country's wheat stocks dwindled, Tim Dewan, Southeast Asian region manager for AWB Ltd, the re-named Australian Wheat Board, told Reuters.

Indonesia was Australia's second-largest wheat market in 1996/97 (October-September), when it purchased a total 2.4 million tonnes. But AWB has sold no more wheat to Indonesia this year since a 270,000 tonne sale in July, two months after President Suharto was forced from office by political and economic turmoil, although shipping of wheat sold has continued since.

Indonesia's absence from the wheat market since has been accompanied by dislocating change involving an end to government wheat subsidies last month, rising prices, fallingdemand, the introduction of a deregulated import system by private flour mills .