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Food security for 65 million Algerians and export agricultural products
Algerian ambitions
Ensure food security for 65 million Algerians and become exporters of agricultural products. This ambition is expressed by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Yacine Mehdi Oualid, in his speech launching the work of the National Conference on the modernization of agriculture which began yesterday Monday in Algiers. He stressed that the first stone will be laid for a qualitative transformation of our sector, restoring the status of the land, the dignity of the farmer and the food sovereignty of the citizen. stressed that Algeria faced a “difficult, but not impossible, equation”.
He stressed the need to establish modern scientific and technical bases to advance the agricultural sector and guarantee national food security. The minister explained that the agricultural sector currently contributes 14.5% to the gross domestic product, while the cultivated areas do not exceed 8.5 million hectares, despite the significant natural potential of the country. He noted that more than a million hectares in the South could be used for strategic crops.
Evaluating national production, Yacine Mehdi Oualid revealed that the average wheat yield does not exceed 18 quintals per hectare, while countries with similar climatic conditions reach 35 quintals per hectare.
He stressed that the objective set for the next five years is to increase yields to 40 quintals per hectare thanks to the generalization of improved seeds and the adoption of modern agricultural practices.
The minister stressed that the rate of use of irrigation water does not exceed 18% and that the country uses only 7% of its precipitation.
He called for better management of water resources and their scientific and efficient exploitation. He also emphasized the importance of digitalization to improve agricultural governance, saying that “digitalization will end uncertainties.”
He announced the launch of a new system for monitoring 8.5 million hectares of agricultural land using drones and satellites. In the same context, the Minister of Agriculture announced the appointment of members of the Scientific Council for Food Security, which will be responsible for the planning and scientific evaluation of national food security policies. He noted that Algeria is “losing between 20 and 30% of its agricultural production due to disruptions in supply chains,” requiring structural reform of the distribution, storage and marketing system.
The minister concluded his speech by emphasizing that “the qualitative transformation of the agricultural sector began today,” adding: “We are here to lay the first foundations for a real transformation that will restore the status of the land, the dignity of the farmer and the food sovereignty of the citizen.”
During the conference, several workshops will be organized around themes related to the intensification and improvement of production in strategic sectors, the sustainable management of agricultural water resources, as well as modernization through mechanization and intelligent agriculture, in addition to financing, agricultural insurance and social coverage.
The work of the National Conference on the modernization of agriculture aims to define strategic orientations and operational measures capable of making this sector an engine of economic growth.
The opening of this conference, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries on October 27 and 28 at the International Conference Center (CIC) “Abdelatif Rahal”, was chaired by the Minister of the sector, Yacine El Mehdi Oualid, in the presence of members of the Government, the President of the National Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Cnese), Mohamed Boukhari, as well as the Director General of Customs, the Major General Abdelhafid Bekhouche.
Also taking part in the conference were several heads of institutions, economic companies and financial establishments, representatives of international organizations, and national and foreign experts specializing in the agricultural field.
Lakhdar A.