Algeria Ranked Arab World’s Largest and Fourth-Largest Global Producer of Watermelons
As Algeria consolidates its position among the world’s leading watermelon producers, agricultural experts argue that future growth should be guided by water efficiency, strategic crop planning and long-term food security, rather than production volumes alone.
ALGIERS — Algeria’s emergence as the Arab world’s and Africa’s largest watermelon producer—and the world’s fourth largest overall with annual output approaching 2.3 million tonnes—has reignited debate over how to reconcile agricultural expansion with mounting pressure on water resources and broader food security objectives.
While the sector has become one of Algeria’s most successful seasonal agricultural activities, experts argue that production figures alone are no longer sufficient indicators of success. Instead, they say, future policy should place greater emphasis on environmental sustainability, efficient water management and strategic crop allocation as climate variability intensifies across North Africa.
Agricultural engineer Abdelmadjid Sghiri said Algeria’s global ranking reflects the significant progress achieved by domestic producers through expanded cultivated areas and improved yields, demonstrating farmers’ capacity to respond to growing market demand.
However, he stressed that such achievements should also be assessed through the lens of economic and environmental sustainability.
According to Sghiri, further expansion of watermelon cultivation should be carefully aligned with the water availability of each agricultural region and evaluated against the needs of strategic food crops that are central to national food security.
“The objective should not simply be to maximise production,” he said, arguing that agricultural planning must ensure the efficient allocation of natural resources while preserving long-term agricultural balance.
High-value crop requiring careful management
Sghiri described watermelon as one of Algeria’s most profitable commercial crops, capable of generating substantial income for farmers while supporting seasonal employment throughout cultivation, harvesting, transportation and distribution.
Its attractive financial returns have encouraged increasing numbers of producers to enter the sector. Nevertheless, he noted that profitability depends not only on crop yields but also on efficient management throughout the production cycle, including land selection, irrigation techniques, production costs and marketing strategies.
He cautioned that bumper harvests can also expose producers to market risks, as oversupply may drive prices sharply lower while the fruit’s limited storage life leaves growers vulnerable to post-harvest losses.
For this reason, improving marketing networks, storage capacity and supply-chain management is as important as increasing cultivated acreage, he said.
Water consumption remains central to the debate
The environmental dimension remains one of the most contested aspects of watermelon production.
Sghiri estimated that a hectare of watermelon typically requires between 5,000 and 7,000 cubic metres of water during a growing season, with higher consumption recorded in hotter regions or where traditional irrigation systems are still used.
He nevertheless challenged the widespread perception that watermelon is Algeria’s most water-intensive crop.
Industrial tomatoes and several other irrigated crops may require comparable—or even higher—water volumes depending on climatic conditions, soil characteristics and irrigation methods, he said. Watermelon does consume more water than cereals and pulses, but it should not be viewed as an exceptional case within the country’s agricultural system.
The key issue, Sghiri argued, lies not in the crop itself but in the management of water resources.
He advocated concentrating watermelon cultivation in regions with sufficient water availability while accelerating the adoption of drip irrigation and other precision irrigation technologies capable of significantly improving water-use efficiency.
Profitability versus food security
Sghiri contrasted watermelon production with wheat cultivation, describing the comparison as one between commercial profitability and strategic national priorities.
Watermelon typically generates substantially higher revenue and net profit per hectare but requires greater capital investment, higher water consumption and carries greater market risk because of price volatility and the fruit’s perishability.
Wheat, by contrast, delivers more modest financial returns while consuming less water and remaining strategically indispensable to Algeria’s food security objectives.
The appropriate crop choice therefore depends on broader policy priorities, he said. Producers seeking maximum commercial returns may favour watermelon, whereas national agricultural planning must also consider water conservation and strategic food production.
Calls for stronger technical oversight
Addressing public concerns over food safety, Sghiri said watermelon remains a healthy product, adding that isolated cases involving excessive fertiliser or pesticide use should not be regarded as representative of Algeria’s agricultural sector.
He noted that agrochemical use in Algeria generally remains below levels observed in many major agricultural producers and is subject to regulatory oversight.
Looking ahead, Sghiri argued that the country’s principal challenge is not limiting watermelon cultivation itself but strengthening integrated water management, adapting crop selection to local environmental conditions and maintaining an appropriate balance between farm profitability, food security and resource sustainability.
He also called for a greater role for agricultural engineers in field supervision and suggested establishing a specialised agricultural inspection body to strengthen compliance with farming standards and best practices.
Regarding exports, Sghiri said Algeria’s watermelon industry possesses considerable commercial potential but argued that export development warrants a separate strategic framework supported by specialised technical and policy discussions to address its logistical, regulatory and market-access challenges.
Translated and adapted from:
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