Algeria should stop hard wheat imports, says trade minister

Algeria should stop importing hard wheat as it produced high-quality of it in 2009, says Algerian trade minister Hachemi Djaaboub.

• “Public and private manufactories should deal directly with the Algerian Grain professional Office as it has sufficient quantities of high-quality hard wheat,” Djaaboub told reporters on Thursday.
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• “In 2009, Algeria produced 6.1 million tons of grains. Of them, 2.43 tons of hard wheat, 1.13 million tons of soft wheat, 24 million quintals of barley and 0.14 million tons of oats,” he added.
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• The minister also said the government will take measures meant to regularise the price of large consumption food products in the fasting month of Ramadan. “The government will import 10,000 tons of fresh sheep meat in July and August.”
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• “Economic operators and importers should contact the trade and agriculture ministries to know about national market-related measures for better supply.”
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• Customs general manager Abdou Bouderbala said Algeria’s most important harbours will be linked to some ports abroad via the Internet as part of the fight against fraud and smuggling.
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• “The first experience will be between the ports of Algiers, Oran and Marseille. This is due thanks to the customs new law,” he said.