Yacine Walid, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, arrived in El Menia province on Saturday for a working and inspection visit. During the visit, he inspected several farms specializing in grain corn to monitor the progress of the harvest campaign, which will be followed by the grain sowing process. He also assessed the readiness of storage facilities to receive production, as part of the ongoing field monitoring of strategic crops and support for farmers and investors.
The Minister began the visit by inaugurating an intermediate storage center with a capacity of 5,000 tons, one of 11 centers allocated to the province. On-site, the foundation stone was also laid for a strategic storage silo with a capacity of 100,000 tons, where Walid inspected the progress of the construction work.
These projects are part of the national program to strengthen grain storage capacities, which includes 350 local centers with a capacity of 5,000 tons each, and 30 strategic silos with a capacity of 100,000 tons each.
In the municipality of Hassi Gara, the Minister visited private farms belonging to young investors where the grain corn harvest is underway alongside grain sowing. He inspected the resources deployed, particularly harvesters and collection and drying centers. During discussions with producers, several shortcomings were identified to be addressed next season, such as providing more high-capacity dryers, modern machinery suited for desert agriculture, and early seed supply to avoid delays in the corn harvest and ensure timely grain sowing.
Investors involved in the strategic crop development program in El Menia expressed their strong determination to expand their investments in grain corn and cereal production following positive results and experience gained. This confirms the province’s potential to contribute to self-sufficiency, particularly in grain corn and durum wheat, as well as milk and fodder.
During his visit to the Nourredine Ferouhat farm, which specializes in seed intensification, fodder production, and fruit trees, Yacine Walid chaired a meeting with the province’s farmers, investors, and livestock breeders to listen to their concerns and suggestions regarding the development of corn and grain cultivation, as well as the red meat sector.
Regarding the grain corn sector, where the province achieved unprecedented results, the cultivated area jumped from 11,000 hectares in 2024-2025 to more than 22,000 hectares during the current season, while the number of producers doubled from 316 to 1,137 investors. Instructions were issued to the relevant departments to urgently settle payments to producers during the current week and to address shortcomings for the next season, particularly regarding transport, dryers, the establishment of local corn processing units, and the provision of early seeds.
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