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The kickoff ceremony for the first phase of this important agricultural project took place in the presence of the Secretary General (SG) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hamid Bensaad, the Ambassador of Qatar to Algeria, Abdulaziz Ali Al-Naama, the Director General (DG) of the NIF, Kamel Mansouri, representatives from Baladna and local authorities.

According to on-site briefings given to the delegation, the initial phase of the project primarily involves prospecting work for the realization of exploratory wells, followed by a study on the nature of the groundwater.

The SG of the Ministry of Agriculture, Bensaad, said that “Adrar, with its significant economic potential, is today seeing the launch of the first phase of one of Algeria’s largest strategic agriculture projects, namely that of powdered milk production spanning 117,000 hectares.”

With a budget of over USD3.5 billion, this major project—set to begin its first production phase in 2026—will meet 50% of national milk powder needs and supply the local market with red meat. Also, it will bring about 5,000 direct jobs and contribute to the cereal and fodder production through crop rotation across the project’s three agricultural perimeters, he said.

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