Algeria reports higher grain harvest

For the 2014-15 harvest season, Algeria's cereal production reached 4 million metric tons, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year, Mohamed Belabdi, Director General of the country’s Inter-professional Office of Cereal (OAIC) told the Algeria Press Service. The total includes hard and soft wheat and barley.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s previous forecast was 4.3 million metric tons, based on the planted areas, which included 1.5 million hectares of hard wheat, 1.0 million hectares of barley, 600,000 hectares of soft wheat and 100,000 hectares of oats.
By 2019, it is estimated that Algeria’s total cereal production will reach 7 million metric tons as the result of an expansion in the irrigated area, greater use of fertilizers and high-quality seeds, and increased mechanization.
In June 2015, Algeria suspended duties on animal feed imports until the end of the year in an effort to keep its domestic market stable amid rising world market prices.
Algeria is among the world’s largest importers of grain. In the first six months of this year, its cereal imports totaled 6.93 million metric tons, 18 per cent more than a year earlier, according to Customs Today. Soft wheat imports were 2.74 million metric tons (+5.8 percent), barley 412,000 metric tons (+43 percent) and maize 1.78 million metric tons (+20 percent).
 The government is reported to be trying to reduce imports in order to offset a fall in world crude oil prices, which have cut state revenues.

Arbor Acres host Algeria’s first international poultry seminar

Alain Silvin and Moshe Ganjai of Arbor Acres were among the leaders at Arbor Acres Algeria's first international poultry seminar.
Arbor Acres Algeria (AAA), founded in 2010 with the main objective of securing local poultry production and elevating the local poultry knowledge to international standards, hosted and supported  the country's first international poultry seminar in the historic city of Tlemcen.
Arbor Acres Algeria is one of the eight affiliates that comprise The Kherbouche Group Engineering and Commercial Company serving agriculture.
The event attracted more than 200 guests from the Algerian and North African poultry industry, who heard from a number of speakers including Rachid Kherbouche, the president, and his son Hachim Kherbouche manager of AAA, who shared future plans and objectives with the audience. This session was concluded by a professional video demonstration of the AAA activities and its brand new state-of-the-art facilities in Tlemcen.
Alain Silvin, commercial manager of Arbor Acres in North and West Africa, gave an overview of Aviagen's research and development work and potential future development within the market.
Aviagen's Mohsen Ganjaei, technical services manager for Arbor Acres in the Middle East and Africa, explained how to maximize chick numbers and how to protect and store the hatching eggs from production until hatching time.
In addition, there were a number of guest speakers, including nutrition expert Seyfi Ay, who stressed the importance of correct male bird nutrition for best performance. Puzant Dakessian, Aviagen regional technical manager, spoke about production performance improvement of breeder and broiler and the projection of these results through the next five years by genetic development,
The event program was completed by several local speakers. Mohammad Sobhi, AAA hatchery manager, talked about the best practices of producing quality chicks, while Dr. Kara Terki, production manager of AAA, covered the laboratory control measures in a breeding operation, and Dr. Hocine Allali, technical and commercial manager, highlighted the importance of biosecurity in any successful operation.
Puzant Dakessian said: "The meticulous organisation of this event, the careful selection of subjects, venue and invitees were a clear indication of how seriously dedicated The Kherbouche Group is to the poultry industry and its future within Algeria and we are proud to have them as partners.
"It was a very successful event and we look forward to more in the future."
Ganjaei commented: "It was amazing to see so many representatives of the North African poultry industry at this event and it underlines just how much investment and work is going on across the continent into a hugely successful industry."
Silvin said: "The Arbor Acres brand has grown in popularity year on year since 2005 and is now well established as a firm favourite in the industry thanks to excellent and predictable performance in an environment which can have dramatically different weather from season to season."
  Michael Garden, Aviagen's business manager for the region, added: "We will save no effort to fully support this professional AAA operation in Tlemcen and extend all sort of commercial and technical support to make it a success."