07 March 2022; MEMO: Algeria has enough grain reserves to last until the end of this year, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced. According to the Algeria Press Service, Mohamed Abdelhafid Henni made the announcement amid fears of a crisis in supply due to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
"Algeria has taken all precautions to ensure that the national market is covered and fully satisfying all citizens' grain needs," said Henni. "The global market for this commodity is under immense pressure."
Algeria consumes between 9 and 12 million tonnes of soft and hard grain annually. Most of this is imported, especially from France, and in limited quantities from Canada.
The harvest and threshing usually begins in Algeria between June and July, which gives the country greater comfort in ensuring the normal supply of grain despite the current global crisis, said the minister. In the last harvest season, Algeria produced 1.3 million tonnes of soft and hard grain, according to official data, the country's lowest level for decades.
Wheat prices are rising due to the crisis in Ukraine. Russia is the largest wheat exporter in the world with an annual average of 44 million tonnes, while Ukraine is the fifth largest, at 17 million tonnes.
