The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, Yacine Oualid, chaired a national meeting dedicated to the date sector on Monday at the headquarters of the National Chamber of Agriculture. According to a ministry statement, the minister emphasized the strategic importance of the date sector within national agricultural production, given its economic potential and expertise that qualify it to be a wealth-generating crop, particularly through the promotion of non-hydrocarbon exports.
The minister reviewed key indicators related to this sector, which includes approximately 19 million palm trees and hundreds of date varieties suitable for export or processing. This is especially significant following the completion of industrial zones dedicated to processing agricultural products by the National Investment Promotion Agency in several regions across the country.
The meeting provided an opportunity for professionals to present their concerns and the various obstacles hindering their field activities. These issues included plant health, laboratory analysis, labeling and certification, oasis rehabilitation, cooling and storage, transportation, mechanization, packaging, financing, and insurance, as well as the organization of the profession.
In this context, the minister recalled a series of measures to be taken in the short and medium term to support producers and promote the date sector. Among the most prominent measures is the mobilization of all means and plant protection materials to treat pests affecting palm trees, such as Boufaroua and Bayoud. Additionally, the sector’s needs for agricultural mechanization will be assessed to consider local production or importation, with the company Agrodrive tasked with providing them to farmers.
The minister also recommended the establishment of a specialized laboratory for the analysis and certification of agricultural products through a partnership between the National Chamber of Agriculture and the National Institute of Agricultural Research to facilitate the export process. He encouraged the organization of professionals into cooperatives to enable effective marketing in the national market and enhance export opportunities, while supporting producer participation in international exhibitions to showcase the quality of Algerian dates.
Furthermore, the minister stressed the necessity of providing agricultural electricity, constructing roads, protecting palm trees from fires, and supporting solar energy. He also highlighted the importance of assisting farmers in drilling wells and facilitating access to cooling loans, particularly for farmers who do not possess property deeds, to encourage investment in cold storage facilities.
He also recommended facilitating date marketing operations, supporting exporters in various administrative and banking aspects, and simplifying procedures to enable faster exports, alongside providing large containers. The statement added that several points and issues related to date-producing provinces were discussed, with practical solutions proposed to address them.
