Saharan Agriculture: 230,000 ha allocated to investors in 2022

BY: Hana Saada

ALGIERS- The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohamed Abdelhafid Henni, said Thursday that 230,000 hectares (ha) have been allocated to investors in 2022 as part of the Saharan agriculture program, according to the official agency.

Affirming that the development of agriculture in the South constitutes “a priority” in the action plan of his ministerial department, Mr. Henni added that for the current year, 220,000 ha are planned within the framework of the crop plans drawn up for this region, in particular those strategic, such as cereals and legumes.

Mr. Henni also assured that a “strong demand” for agricultural investment in the south of the country is observed, with more than 3,000 requests registered on the platform of the Office for the Development of Saharan Agriculture at its previous opening between the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.

In this sense, he noted that the “significant” cereal yields of between 70 and 80 quintals per hectare, the availability of the necessary water resources, as well as the support of the state, are all potentialities that encourage investment in Saharan agriculture.

On another note, the Minister indicated that efforts have been made to preserve cereal production in the western regions of the country affected by the scarcity of rains.

With regard to the production of the sector, the Minister advanced “an identical yield” to that of last year, assuring that “the first information collected maintains a relatively high level of production”.