Early Strawberry Boom in Algeria: Prices Plummet Amid Record Harvest and Expanded Cultivation

(3 Minutes Read)

Strawberries have been widely available in Algerian markets for several weeks, even before the traditional harvest period in early April and ahead of Ramadan. Their early and abundant arrival has led to prices dropping to the level of common vegetables like potatoes—or even lower.

This large supply comes not only from greenhouse farming but also from open-field cultivation. For the 2024–2025 agricultural season, a significant harvest was expected. For instance, earlier this year, agricultural authorities in Skikda forecasted over 1,900 quintals of strawberry production. This growth is attributed to both the expanded cultivation areas and higher yields per hectare. Favourable weather conditions—with no major disasters like the floods in Jijel last year—also played a key role.

Despite last year’s challenges, Jijel succeeded in exporting strawberries to countries such as Oman and Ivory Coast in 2024, thanks to the efforts of local farmers and support from the Chamber of Agriculture. This marks the beginning of Algeria’s push to enter new global markets, supported by government initiatives to boost exports, particularly via new air routes to African nations.

As a result, Tiaret province recorded exports worth €1.8 million to African and European destinations in 2024. These exports included peanuts to France, onions to Italy, and peach pits to Turkey. Meanwhile, the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (BADR) allocated 221 billion dinars for agricultural investment in 2024—a 7% increase from 2023—bringing total funding by year-end to 1,983 billion dinars. The largest portion of this funding was directed to the Hauts Plateaux and southern provinces.

In related developments, the Minister of Hydraulics, Taha Derbal, announced in Mila that a study has been approved to expand the region’s irrigated farmland using water from the Beni Haroun dam. This expansion will complement the existing 4,447-hectare Teleghma irrigated area. This initiative reflects ongoing collaboration between the Ministries of Hydraulics and Agriculture to address farmers’ needs and advance irrigation efforts.

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https://trendsnafrica.com/rwanda-to-boost-strawberry-farming/

President Tebboune also underscored the government’s focus on agriculture during a recent Council of Ministers meeting. He highlighted the importance of the General Agricultural Census (RGA) as a strategic tool for guiding decisions, modernising agriculture, and reinforcing food security. He directed the Minister of Agriculture to broaden the census scope to include all agricultural sectors, categorise livestock, map production geographically, and inventory fruit trees by type—especially olives and palms.

Experts praised this move as vital for the sector’s future and the national economy. It will also enable trade services to anticipate infrastructure needs, assist industries in planning agri-food facilities based on regional strengths, and support the logistics of surplus export operations.