Algiers – Algeria is set to launch its first digital platform dedicated to marketing aquaculture products, according to the Director-General of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Miloud Triaa. This initiative aims to bolster the aquaculture sector and improve the marketing mechanisms for its produce.
Triaa chaired a coordination meeting with senior officials from the Directorate-General and representatives from the National Livestock Feed Office (ONAB) to finalize preparations for the platform’s launch. The platform will focus on key fish species, including Gilthead seabream (Daurade Royale), European seabass (Loup de mer), and Red Tilapia, addressing challenges in marketing these products, which have previously hindered production expansion, especially for small-scale producers and farmers engaged in integrated aquaculture-agriculture practices.
To tackle marketing issues, a public company affiliated with the fisheries and aquaculture sector, a subsidiary of ONAB, has been established. This company has already begun marketing aquaculture products through its sales outlets, following an agreement with the Algerian Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The digital platform, a first of its kind in Algeria, will create a national database of marine and freshwater aquaculture producers. It will allow producers facing marketing difficulties to register their available quantities, with the public company handling the marketing process. Product processors will also be able to register and specify their areas of activity, ensuring direct connections between producers and sales outlets.
The platform will facilitate production planning, enabling the determination of production schedules and quantities for each producer by species. It will also generate accurate statistics on the number of producers and the volume of national production. Furthermore, the platform will streamline the implementation of incentive mechanisms for producers, particularly those producing Red Tilapia, by allocating a subsidy of 50 Algerian dinars per kilogram produced.
The Algerian Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture will be involved in monitoring relevant data. The platform will also allow the Veterinary Health Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture to access producers’ requests for health inspections, enhancing health control and product quality. This initiative marks a significant step towards modernizing Algeria’s aquaculture sector and ensuring sustainable growth.
