President Tebboune orders to implement strategy for self-sufficiency in corn, barley and durum wheat

ALGIERS — The President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, ordered during the meeting of the Council of Ministers he chaired on Monday the implementation of a national strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in the harvests of corn, barley and durum wheat.

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The President of the Republic ordered “implementing a very short-term national strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in three strategic crops: corn, barley and durum wheat.

He also called for prioritizing corn cultivation and establishing it as a tradition in Algerian farming so as to cut down on the budget for its importation,” the Council of Ministers noted in a press release.

The President of the Republic also ordered “redirecting inactive flour mills towards operations in the field of livestock feed through exploiting our capacities in corn production, which will positively impact livestock resources and especially meat production,” the same source added.

Stressing that “agricultural development is a matter of sovereignty and national dignity for all of us,” he enjoined the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to pave the way for the new generation of agricultural engineers through small businesses and start-ups, with a view to achieving a real revolution leading us to self-sufficiency.”

The President of the Republic insisted on “the need to begin developing agricultural products through the pilot farms that have been restructured to boost their profitability, with a focus on argan oil production, given Algeria’s great capacities in this area.”

He also ordered holding meetings in the field of agriculture for the benefit of young people to highlight the State’s unwavering support for their projects.

President Tebboune further reiterated his instructions on the need to provide all possible support to farmers and agricultural engineers in acquiring essential equipment, especially new and second-hand tractors, to encourage them to ramp up their efforts.

Concerning the harvest-threshing campaign, the President of the Republic ordered that beneficiaries of state aid and subsidies be required to achieve specific objectives in terms of harvest yields, following thorough studies and a comprehensive census to evaluate the efforts of farmers and identify the gaps.

In this respect, the president insisted on supervising and monitoring harvest campaigns, ensuring that deadlines are respected to prevent crop loss, the statement added.

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