The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, Yacine Walid, chaired a national meeting on Monday evening dedicated to discussing the current state and future prospects of the potato sector. According to a ministry statement, the meeting included producers from various provinces, the head of the National Chamber of Agriculture, directors of agricultural product regulation institutions, and sector officials.
The meeting featured a frank and constructive discussion regarding the sector’s importance for national food security. Participants listened to producers’ concerns and suggestions aimed at preserving the sector’s achievements and modernizing it to enhance its role in diversifying the national economy.
Discussions focused on finding solutions to ensure the stability of the potato sector by achieving a balance between production abundance and maintaining the continuity of farming activities. The aim is to increase investment in response to growing demand in both domestic and foreign markets, especially given the high quality of Algerian produce.
To achieve these goals, several proposals and solutions were discussed for implementation starting this year. Key among these is revising the current regulation system to better manage surplus production through regulation institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Furthermore, the meeting addressed the development of the processing industry. The Algerian Investment Promotion Agency will allocate industrial zones for processing agricultural products, including potatoes, across various regions of the country.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of opening export opportunities, supporting exporting farmers, and encouraging them to form cooperatives to facilitate export operations.
Recommendations also included reducing production costs by ensuring local seed production. The ministry is working to restructure the seed production hierarchy by involving the private sector, which is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Algerian products in foreign markets and expand export horizons.
Additionally, the meeting discussed enabling producers to sell directly to consumers and the necessity of organizing producers into cooperatives. This would allow regulatory and supervisory institutions to establish long-term programs for export and processing, contributing to a reduction in intermediaries and ensuring sector stability.
Other proposals included providing sufficient quantities of fertilizers meeting required standards and addressing issues related to financing and insurance within the sector.
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