Grain imports expected to hit $2.2bn bill in 2013 in Algeria

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Rachid Benaissa declared Thursday in M’sila that the bill of Algeria’s grain imports will hit $2.2 billion in 2013. "The bill of Algeria grain imports is expected to rise to $2.2 billion by the end of 2013," Benaissa told the press of on the sidelines Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal working and inspection visit to M’sila. He added that the "value of this bill will be at the same level as last year." Maintaining this level for two consecutive years was "proof of stability of grain imports," the minister stressed. He also called for pursuing efforts to "gradually reduce "cereal imports. About the domestic production of cereals, Benaissa said that it was around 50 million quintals for the 2013 crop year, noting that this production was, too, at the same level as last year, i.e. 52 million quintals.