ISTANBUL (Dow Jones)--The Turkish government has mandated the state grain board, or TMO, to import 100,000 metric tons of rice duty free by the end of July, 2009, the official gazette showed Thursday, the Ihlas News Agency, or IHA, reported. 
 
The government had also mandated TMO to import 700,000 tons of wheat and 300,000 metric tons of corn by the end of May, 2009. 
 Turkey's grain production is traditionally enough for domestic needs but last year, drought hit the crops and TMO started issuing international purchase
tenders.