Algeria Anticipates Record Grain Yields

Algerian Agriculture Minister Yacine Oualid launched the wheat harvest in a 1,600-hectare area as part of a project with the Italian group Bonifiche Ferraresi. He anticipates a record harvest for the 2025-2026 season, exceeding last year’s roughly 3 million tons of various grains. Favorable weather conditions, including a snowy and rainy winter after eight years of drought, contribute to the expected increase.

The minister observed remarkable results from farmers and investors in the Stah Agrout agricultural area near Timimoun, in the Algerian Sahara. Some fields are yielding over 80 quintals per hectare—more than double the national average of 30 quintals—due to modern technology and careful cultivation. Algeria hopes to lessen its reliance on grain imports through investment in Saharan projects using underground water reserves for irrigation.

The minister did not provide a specific production estimate, likely to avoid premature optimism. The long-term sustainability of relying on groundwater in the Sahara remains a key consideration. Algeria continues to pursue food security through increased domestic production.