Agriculture
A drive to improve food security, coupled with weakened oil prices worldwide, has prompted Algeria to accelerate its planned agricultural reforms over the next five years. To that end, in 2014 the government announced plans to spend AD300bn (€2.8bn) each year on agriculture as part of the Public Investment Programme 2015- 19. However, some key challenges must be addressed. In this respect, government-led efforts to increase the area of irrigated land, encourage the use of fertiliser and promote uptake of new farming techniques constitute a big step forward. In the coming years, water usage is expected to play a central role in sector development plans, given the challenges posed by Algeria’s hot, dry climate and the government’s declared intention to intensify local production levels as a means to reduce the country’s reliance on food imports. This chapter contains interviews with Sid Ahmed Ferroukhi, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries; and Kaci Ibrahim, General Manager, Ifri.
