Due to potato prices soaring on the market, in some areas exceeding USD0,70 per kilogram, Algeria will start importing 100,000 tons of cultivars, out of which 30,000 tons immediately.

“[…] Sunday, March 13, an official from the Ministry of Commerce confirmed the forthcoming import of 100,000 tonnes, including 30,000 immediately, that is to say before the month of Ramadan which risks seeing prices increase further, more strongly,” The Maghreb Times recently wrote.

The goal of the measure, the above-mentioned experts added, is to draw prices down by rebalancing supply and demand, by compensating for the quantities that are lacking on the market due to the decline in production or speculation.

The country is self-sufficient in vegetables and certain seasonal fruits, but as shown by the potato crisis after several years of stability during which there was even thought of exporting surpluses, these are precarious performances that poor rainfall or a poorly-thought-out administrative decision can call into question.

According to official estimates, Algerian agriculture produces around USD25bn dollars each year and covers, year after year, 70% of internal consumption.