Algerian authorities to distribute lands for 200 thousand farmers

The Algerian agriculture and rural development minister Rachid Benaissa has revealed a total of 2 million and 500 thousand hectares of state-owned farms are exploited by private farmers since decades.

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• Some 200 thousand farmers work on 1005 farms either collectively or individually, while 1 million and 100 thousand others are hundred per cent private scattered over 6 million Hectares countrywide, the minister added.
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• M Benaissa has indicated that the problem of the collective farms will be definitely resolved by thanks to the law which enables the farmers to fully cherish their properties since they will be granted ownership contracts of these lands.
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• The law will be implemented on the former colonial farms that turned to collective exploitations during the post-independence era and will parcel them to become individual farms. However, the minister added, the bill on the agricultural estate will be discussed and upgraded before being presented to the cabinet council for endorsement, then to the parliament to be discussed by the MPs. The bottom line is that the government will not strip the farmers of their lands.
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• Algeria has proved it can achieve its food self-sufficiency
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• Talking in “Echourok Forum”, the minister has revealed that Algeria has reduced its food import bill by USD 2 billions over the year 2009, adding that this achievement was the outcome of the new agricultural strategy conducted by his sector since 2008.
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• M Rachid Benaissa has further indicated that the record harvests registered in cereals sector estimated at over 6.1 million hectares this year were here to testify about the soundness of this policy, adding that the total number of the farms designed for this product has reached 600 thousands out of 1.1 millions across the country.
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• The minister has indicated that the government is forging ahead with its policy to encourage the production of cereals in a bid to reach food self –sufficiency synonymous of sovereignty. Rachid Benaissa has indicated that the 2008 world food crisis has raised the Algerian authorities’ awareness as to the danger of being dependant on food prices’ fluctuations on the international market especially for strategic products like cereals.
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• Algeria’s resume of cereals’ exports spoiled lot of people form the inside and outside
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• The minister has asserted that resuming export of cereals after 40 years has spoiled many quarters domestically and abroad who bet on keeping Algeria dependent on the import of food commodities especially for strategic products like cereals.