The Ministry of Trade and Export Promotion aims to increase the number of countries importing Algerian dates to 150 by the end of 2024, with a total value of no less than 250 million dollars, said Tuesday in Algiers the first sector manager, Kamel Rezig.
In a speech at the official opening of the national doors open to the export of dates and their derivatives (from December 27 to 29) at the headquarters of the National Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Trade (Algex), Mr. Rezig said indicates that Algeria exports to 75 countries and intends to increase this number to 150 countries by the end of 2024, to reach an overall value of dates exported of no less than 250 million dollars.
During the first ten months of the current year, the number of Algerian date exporters reached 365 exporters, compared to 350 during the same period of 2021.
Algeria has “enormous” means and capacities to double the volume of its exports, given the abundance of the national production of this product (nearly 1.2 million tons of dates/year).
Recalling that the dates produced in Algeria are generally not treated with chemicals, Mr. Rezig underlined the need to switch to “environmentally friendly organic farming”, due to its impact on the quality of the product and the export capacities of the sector.
To this end, the Minister indicated that work is in progress, in coordination with the various other ministerial sectors concerned, to grant all administrative facilities allowing the creation or attraction of organizations for the certification of organic products in Algeria, recognized on the major world markets, so as to allow Algerian farmers and exporters in general, particularly in the sector of dates and their derivatives, to benefit from this service and obtain accreditation for their products at the international level.
He also emphasized the importance of date derivatives and the related manufacturing industry in promoting the sector’s exports, given the diversity and abundance of its products in Algeria.
This manufacturing industry centered on dates is able to create tens of thousands of jobs, specified the minister, insisting on the imperative to promote Algerian dates and their derivatives through the organization of fairs and participation in various events around the world.
Algeria in 7th place in the world in 2021
During the opening ceremony, a representative of ALGEX reviewed the main indicators of the date sector in Algeria.
According to the exposed data, in 2021 Algeria occupied the 7th place in the world in the export of 76.9 thousand tons of dates worth 79 million dollars, with Saudi Arabia being the first. exporting country of dates with 13.4% of all world exports.
During the last five years, exports of Algerian dates reached 66.4 million dollars, reaching the peak in 2021 of 79 million dollars.
According to the same data, the production of dates reached its peak in 2019 with 11.36 million quintals, including “Deglet Nour” at the top of the list (6.14 million quintals) followed by dry dates (3.02 million of quintals) then the rest of the soft dates (2.20 million quintals).
The number of countries importing Algerian dates between 2017 and 2021 reached 66 countries, with a peak recorded in 2021 of 72 countries around the world.
Among the importing countries in 2021 are France which imported a quantity of 21.42 thousand tons for an overall value of 25.36 million dollars, followed by Spain (8.48 thousand tons) for a value of 9, $44 million.
As for the variety of dates exported in large quantities in 2021, the same data show Deglet Nour which tops the ranking with more than 25,514 tonnes exported to the various countries of the world, including 4,884 tonnes to France, 2,801 tonnes to Germany, followed by soft dates (more than 49784 tons) then dry dates (1635 tons).
The same data revealed that imports of dates in the world reached 1.84 billion dollars, with a peak recorded in 2021 with a value of 2.04 billion dollars.