Baladna Project to Receive 30,000 Heifers for Food Security
Algeria is set to commence the world's largest airborne transfer of live animals with the imminent arrival of 30,000 American Holstein heifers in Adrar. The first contingent, comprising 300 dairy cows, is anticipated to touch down in late November, initiating a massive operation involving 109 flights, each carrying an average of 300 bovines. This ambitious import forms a key part of the Baladna-Algérie megaproject, signaling a new phase in the nation's efforts to enhance its agricultural economy.
In preparation for this extensive undertaking, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Sid-Ali Khaldi, recently inspected the quarantine facilities at Adrar airport and the ongoing construction of the isolation enclosure situated near the airfield. The Baladna-Algérie project, a partnership between Algeria's National Investment Fund (FNI) and Qatar's Baladna company, involves an investment exceeding $3.5 billion. Ultimately, the comprehensive scheme is designed to incorporate 72,000 cows, projecting an annual production capacity of 1.7 billion liters of milk.
This integrated investment combines bovine breeding with the production of fodder, corn, powdered milk, and red meat. Officials state that the initiative will contribute significantly to reducing Algeria's import bill and generating direct and indirect employment opportunities. The project's strategic objective is to bolster national economic sovereignty and food security, with an aim to fulfill 50% of the country's powdered milk requirements, supply the local market with red meat, and substantially increase the national bovine herd by its targeted completion in 2026. The powdered milk factory component of the project is reported to be 28% complete.
