Union of Free Algerian Peasants: “Millions of Grains' Quintals Face Damage due to the Weak Storage”

Spokesman for the Union of the Free Algerian Peasants, Kaid Saleh, warned of the damage of millions of Quintals of grain production for this season, due to lack of storage capacity, and called on the Ministry of Agriculture to develop a crisis cell with the task of raising the concerns of producers and coordinate cooperation with the National Professional Office of Grains, ‭especially as its storage capacities does not exceed‭ ‬21 ‭million quintals, while the grain’s production expectations‬ of this‬ year reaches 60 million quintals.

“The harvesting and threshing is threatened with failure due to the lack of machines Harvesters and their expensive prices on peasants, and the lack of potential for grain storage. The problem is actually posed on the ground. The Ministry of Agriculture ‭should move ‭quickly to install a cell of crisis and coordination at the level of many wilayas. The National Professional Office of Grain‭s should find a solution to the problem of storage as well”‭‭.

Head of the Federation of Algerian Peasants, Mohamed Aliwi told Echorouk; “Storage will be the major problem which faces production for this year because the capacity of the Grains Office is not exceeding 21 million quintals, while the numbers on the ground indicate an unprecedented production of ‭grains, which will reach almost ‭60 million ‭quintals, ‭especially as the capabilities of ‭storage in the private ‬properties are ‭still ‭unknown. Many stores do not work ‭across the country, while others need ‭restoration ‭ ‬before ‭exploitation”‭. ‬

“Although the production of this year, but it is impossible that Algeria will not import grain and feed this years as well, to cover the needs. What is noticeable is that the imports of wheat will drop by about 40 percent compared to last year, due to the important production ‭which is expected for this ‭year. The bill of ‭importing ‭grains for last ‭ ‬ year ‭past reached $5″‭. ‬