Date palm cultivation producers gathered on Wednesday at the Exhibition Center in Algiers for the International Date Exhibition, running through November 14. Beyond displaying production diversity, this event offers a platform to highlight this strategic product and uncover new export avenues.
Growers aspire to expand their reach across foreign markets, especially since Algerian dates—renowned for superior quality and diverse varieties—hold a strong position in countries experiencing rising demand for this commodity.
Producers interviewed at this fourth edition of the International Date Exhibition confirmed these international ambitions. A grower from the Touggourt province produces 56 distinct varieties, including “Deglet Safra,” “Hamraya,” and “Lellou.” For this producer, who inherited the trade through generations, the event serves as an ideal stage to display product varieties largely unknown to the general public. His ultimate objective centers on entering foreign trade. He expects to achieve this milestone next year following an expansion in production capacity. “In previous years, I distributed my entire harvest within domestic markets. Now, through the cooperative I established, I will be able to export,” the producer noted.
A Deglet Nour grower from Biskra province shared identical targets. “Beyond supplying the domestic market, I plan to export,” he stated, highlighting the meticulous care required to yield high-grade fruit.
For established businesses, the goal focuses on strengthening their existing global presence. Allaoui Food currently exports to multiple countries.
“As producers and exporters of Tolga Deglet Nour, we ship our products to Qatar, France, and Portugal. We exported 500 quintals last year,” indicated Faycal Allaoui, founder and executive head of the company, emphasizing strong international demand for Algerian dates, particularly the Tolga Deglet Nour variety. The firm is currently negotiating with prospective buyers in Senegal to finalize a trade deal soon.
Beyond Deglet Nour, strong demand exists for processing-grade varieties. “We also ship pitted dates to the United States of America,” Mr. Allaoui noted while highlighting operational hurdles. These challenges center on a shortage of skilled labor and the necessity of obtaining mandatory international certifications, which grant exporters market leverage and commercial control.
He proposed several policy adjustments, including creating a unified single-window office for exporters and constructing testing laboratories near primary agricultural zones.
He further advocated for safeguarding the Algerian brand against counterfeiting and unfair competition, stressing that Tolga Deglet Nour constitutes a national treasure and identity that must be rigorously protected.
Promoting Every Date Variety
Another producer from Timimoun province—where regional farms cultivate 360 distinct varieties—argued that export operations should be managed exclusively by specialized professionals, allowing farmers to focus strictly on cultivation. Noting a harvest window stretching from June through late October, he reported initial export shipments directed toward Mali and Niger.
Date-derived products also featured prominently at the event. A processor from Ghardaïa province exhibited roughly thirty value-added items, including date honey, spreadable creams, and powdered cocoa alternatives. His immediate objective prioritizes satisfying domestic consumer demand before transitioning into global distribution as processing capacity expands.
Beyond product displays, this annual gathering functions as an exchange platform for industry professionals, growers, processors, and exporters. The overarching objective remains developing this sector within the national agricultural reform strategy, explained Rabah Ouled Heddar, President of the Ghardaïa Provincial Agricultural Chamber.
He emphasized that this edition highlights Algeria’s vast heritage of over 1,000 date varieties beyond Deglet Nour. “We must establish a targeted strategy to market Algerian dates internationally. We hold immense potential as the world’s third-largest producer, but we must intensify commercialization efforts, particularly targeting foreign buyers,” Ouled Heddar noted, advocating for an expedited green corridor to streamline date exports.
“This year features the participation of the Arab Date Council, a highly influential organization in the global date market,” he added, affirming that the natural organic quality of Algerian dates remains unquestioned.
The President of the Ghardaïa Agricultural Chamber further stressed the imperative to diversify consumer bases and direct Algerian dates toward markets across all five continents, capitalizing on growing global interest in the national product.