Algeria: ONILEV reassures potato producers

The Director General of ONILEV reaffirmed his organization’s commitment to working to address the concerns raised by farmers and potato producers, during a regional meeting organized in Bouira with the participation of seven wilayas (Bouira, Sétif, Algiers, Bordj Bou Arréridj, Tizi Ouzou, Médéa and Boumerdès).

 "Some grievances will be forwarded to the ministry"

"The objective of this meeting is to get closer to the fellahs and potato producers in order to address their concerns, as well as to successfully implement the program to regulate the production and storage of this widely consumed product," Haroumi said at the meeting, organized by the wilaya’s agricultural services department in collaboration with the local Chamber of Agriculture. In a statement to the press, the ONILEV director general reassured potato producers that their grievances would be addressed, which, he said, "will be examined at the ONILEV management level," and some "will be forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development," he added. During the meeting, potato producers raised concerns about the price of their produce sold to the Algerian Society for the Regulation of Agricultural Products (SAPRA), which they said they want to see increased, as well as the storage problem.

As part of the 2024-2025 seasonal potato production regulation program, SARPA is "reaching out to farmers to help and support them," said the company’s director, Mohamed Rafroufi, who was present at the meeting. Regarding potato production in Bouira, the DSA of the wilaya, Zine Labidine Bendjabellah, explained that the area devoted to this product is 860 hectares. "Bouira also has a storage capacity of more than 8,000 m2," Bendjabellah said. He further stated that the objective of this regional meeting is to encourage producers and farmers to adhere to the regulation program for the 2024-2025 season.