By: Hana Saada
ALGIERS – The President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune welcomed, on Tuesday in Algiers, the positive results achieved in recent years by the agricultural sector, which represents 14.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Our farmers should realize that our food security guarantees sovereignty and independence of our decision,” the president said, stressing that complete self-sufficiency has not been achieved by any country in the world, but we should divest from oil revenues to conduct our business,” said President Tebboune in a speech delivered on the occasion of the opening of the National Agriculture Conference, organized at the Palace of Nations, and placed under the theme “Agriculture: for sustainable food security”.
“Today, we are satisfied with the results achieved by agriculture over the past three years. Agriculture represents 14.7% of the gross domestic product and comes just after hydrocarbons, with 24%. Cereals will be of paramount importance in our agricultural production strategy,” added the President.
“We consume 9 million tonnes of wheat a year, and we have managed to produce half that amount, but what prevents us from exceeding half is the lack of rigor in the sector…I would not say indifference,” stressed President Tebboune.
“Foreigners ask me with astonishment why Algeria imports cereals despite its water capacity and vast agricultural areas,” said the President of the Republic.
“We will get closer to comfortable food security if we reach a national production rate of 35 quintals per hectare,” said President Tebboune.
Financing of agriculture-related industry projects up to 90%
“Algeria currently has 19 million head of cattle,” the president said, adding that agricultural production has increased by one thousand billion dinars, or nearly ten billion dollars. Agriculture in the south now requires other measures, including production twice a year. Only the wilayas of the South are able to achieve self-sufficiency in cereals,” noted President Tebboune.
“We will encourage those who carry out agricultural production, twice a year, to benefit from the support and incentives of the State”, affirmed the President, specifying that “we are not far from reaching self-sufficiency, provided that production is carried out with conviction and not under the pressure of official demands”.
“We are ready to finance industrial projects related to agriculture up to 90%,” stressed the President of the Republic.
