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September 25, 2024 | 3 months ago
Self-sufficiency in durum wheat and barley: The Minister mobilizes his executives
A national meeting bringing together all the players involved in developing the cereals sector was held yesterday, chaired by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Youssef Cherfa.
It was dedicated to the ploughing and sowing campaign for the 2024-2025 season, scheduled to start in early October. This mobilization aims to reinforce the actions undertaken in terms of agricultural production, thus meeting the challenges of food security and national sovereignty.
A wide range of officials and experts, including the Directors of Agricultural Services (DSA) of the 58 wilayas, cereal cooperatives affiliated with the Algerian Interprofessional Cereals Office (OAIC), as well as representatives of the water resources sectors, finances, and financial institutions such as the Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (BADR) and the National Fund for Agricultural Cooperation (CNCA) took part in this meeting. This diversity of participants illustrates the crucial importance of the cereal sector for the country, but also the need to coordinate the efforts of multiple sectors to ensure the success of the objectives set.
From the outset, Mr. Cherfa reiterated his sector's commitment to realizing one of the President of the Republic's priorities, namely achieving self-sufficiency in durum wheat by 2025 and barley by 2026. He also highlighted the increase in agricultural areas devoted, from this season to the cultivation of corn, sunflowers and legumes. These crops, like cereals, are of strategic importance in reducing the country's dependence on imports.
A strategy based on concrete resources
To achieve these objectives, the Minister explained the measures already taken. No less than 3.069 million hectares will be devoted to cereals, including 1.643 million hectares for durum wheat, 1.031 million for barley and the rest for common wheat. In terms of material resources, a stock of 4.2 million quintals of certified seed and more than 3.5 million quintals of fertilizer have been made available.
To optimize the use of these resources and maximize returns, four workshops were organized during the meeting. These workshops covered key issues such as financing and insurance, seed and fertilizer mobilization, technical support, and irrigation. The conclusions of these workshops should lead to a roadmap for effectively mobilizing material and human resources and overcoming obstacles to the success of the campaign.
Food self-sufficiency, a national priority
These ambitious targets are part of a wider plan to reduce the country's dependence on food imports. In 2023, Algeria will still be importing almost 8 million tons of soft wheat, making it the world's fifth-largest importer of this cereal after Egypt, China, Indonesia, and Turkey. With this in mind, Algeria has already committed itself to laying the foundations for food self-sufficiency through a solid planning program, the establishment of strategic international partnerships and a substantial increase in its strategic stocks. These have tripled in two years, giving the country a valuable margin of safety in a global context characterized by food market instability.
However, despite these significant advances, several challenges remain, particularly in the soft wheat sector. Unlike durum wheat, where efforts are beginning to bear fruit, soft wheat production remains a weakness due to the characteristics of the Algerian soil and climate, which do not lend themselves to intensive cultivation of this variety. To reduce this dependence, Algeria may need to step up its investment in research into soft wheat varieties better suited to the specific conditions of its semi-arid climate.
September 25, 2024 | 
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