The agricultural reorientation bill marks a new approach to reorganizing Algeria’s agricultural sector, Interior Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries Yacine Oualid affirmed this Tuesday in Algiers. The text aims in particular to strengthen national food security through better sector structuring and enhanced support for all stakeholders.
Speaking at a workshop dedicated to presenting, discussing, and enriching the bill, the minister stated that it will improve the organization and development of the agricultural sector while reinforcing the country’s food sovereignty. It notably calls for better coordination across all stages of the agricultural value chain—from production to storage, processing, and distribution—across every subsector.
This meeting aligns with instructions from President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune to draft a new text governing agricultural orientation. The goal is to establish a comprehensive, sustainable framework for sector organization, based on a forward-looking vision developed with input from experts and professionals.
According to the minister, the bill also provides for preserving local genetic resources and developing national seed production to achieve autonomy in plant and animal genetic material. It further seeks to enhance agricultural system resilience and promote sustainable management of natural resources—particularly water, soil, and biodiversity—while integrating climate change adaptation as a core principle of national agricultural policy.
The text introduces reforms to the sector’s support system, shifting emphasis from input-linked subsidies to production and performance aids, to boost public spending efficiency and optimize resource allocation.
Moreover, the bill establishes regulatory mechanisms to protect farmers in cases of production surpluses, reduce post-harvest losses, and support processing and export activities, particularly through expanded contract farming. It introduces an integrated agricultural risk management system, including crop insurance, climate hazard prevention measures, and income stabilization mechanisms for farmers, alongside simplified administrative procedures and reduced paperwork.
In the digital realm, the bill aims to accelerate the sector’s technological transition via integrated agricultural information systems and traceability tools, especially for livestock and sensitive products.
The text also includes measures to encourage private investment, such as strengthening professional organizations and promoting public-private partnerships. It emphasizes ongoing training and hands-on support for farmers and herders, while introducing incentives to draw young people and innovative project holders into agriculture.
The minister clarified, however, that agricultural land issues are not addressed in this bill, noting that a dedicated text is under preparation to clarify the legal framework for farmland and ensure responsible natural resource management.
For their part, representatives of agricultural professional organizations welcomed the initiative. National Chamber of Agriculture (CNA) President Mohamed Yazid Hambli highlighted the importance of involving farmers and professionals in sector policy development to enhance decision-making effectiveness and agricultural performance.
UNPA Secretary-General Abdellatif Dilmi, representing the National Union of Algerian Peasants, stressed the need to engage all stakeholders in agricultural policy crafting, praising a bill that, in his view, opens a framework for dialogue and consultation serving farmers and professionals.
It is worth recalling that Mr. Oualid recently addressed the ongoing bureaucracy burdening the agricultural sector. He emphasized that reducing administrative weight on farmers is now a top government priority.
In this context, the minister did not hesitate to call out certain administrative practices, asserting that “everyone knows bureaucrats excel at finding excuses.” In his view, the goal is now to remove obstacles hindering farmers’ activities and improve administrative efficiency within the sector.
To achieve this, several measures were announced to streamline procedures and ease professionals’ processes. These include simplifying administrative steps and eliminating unnecessary ones, generalizing digital submissions, and setting clear deadlines for file reviews. Mr. Oualid also recalled agriculture’s strategic importance to the national economy, noting its current 15% contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). “Any hindrance to farmers’ interests directly harms the national economy,” he stressed.