Agriculture Minister: “Algerian Vegetables sold in Greece and 1,600 tons of Potatoes exported to Gulf and European markets”

The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Sid Ahmed Ferroukhi, announced measures aiming at facilitating exports of Algerian potatoes at a time when there is overproduction that threatens the farmers’ revenues.

“In addition to building-up stocks to absorb overproduction and stabilize the market, new measures have been taken to ease export procedures for the benefit of private operators,” the minister told “Echorouk” on the sidelines of his working visit of inspection Thursday to the south-eastern province of Oued Souf.

The objective for him is to set up a “fluid system” for the delivery of the phyto-sanitary certificate by the relevant inspectors, at the agricultural directorates of those provinces with heavy export potentials like El Oued, Ain Defla and Mascara and elsewhere in the country.

The Minister’s new export-oriented guidelines issued to the farmers and agricultural workers are aimed at further boosting farming output at the national level and thereby paving the way for fresh hard currency revenues for the country and for the creation of new job opportunities notably for the Algerian youth in the vital agricultural sector.

It should be noted that Oued Souf province has been ranked first in the standings in terms of bonanza potato production at the national level and 1600 tons of this product have already been exported to several Gulf and European countries, Mr Ferroukhi asserted.

He added that this positive trend in export activities should be maintained via the easing of export procedures with lesser administrative red-tape.

As a result, from now on, the administrative documents needed for exporting will be issued by the provincial governorships which will be entrusted with funneling extra potato quantities abroad, he explained.

The public authorities will reinforce the laboratories of phyto-sanitary analysis and control of samples of agricultural products at provinces so to “facilitate” export procedures.

An export forum is also to be held to examine the measures for reinforcing and facilitating potato export operations, indicated the minister.

Besides exports, the minister stressed the importance of transformation in the regulation of this strategic sector of activity.