(Ecofin Agency) - Saturday, during a work visit in the Mascara wilaya, the Algerian minister of agriculture, local development and fishing Abdeslam Chelghoum, said 48% of agricultural lands across the country were unused. This is in part the fault of farmers but the government also which plans to solve the issue by implementing a global rehabilitation plan for agricultural lands.

To this end, a ministerial comity was established to study the means to exploit abandoned lands including fallow lands (non-irrigated). The minister said it was an “emergency” and most importantly an “unacceptable situation as Algeria currently needs to use all possible means to insure food security”.

In response, the Algerian government plans to gather all means to “sensitize land owners about the importance of exploiting their lands the best way by applying modern technics in agricultural production, such as modern irrigation to increase yield and cutting import, and export even”, Chelghoum said.  

The committee will deliver its results at the end of August. Meanwhile, the minister of agriculture has invited farmers who own irrigated lands to prioritize the cultivation of the basic goods like cereals, legumes and dry legumes.

Souha Touré