Poultry production in Algeria: current situation and future prospects

Abstract

The Algerian poultry industry produces annually on average 340,000 tons of white meat and more than 4.8 billion eggs. The industry consists of 20,000 farmers employing about 500,000 people. Most feed and other inputs are imported and correspond to 80% of 2,500,000 tons of feed (which is typically based on corn and soybean meal), three million breeder birds, veterinary products and equipment. The current structure of the Algerian poultry industry is derived from government development policies initiated in the 1980′s. Currently the high dependence on external markets for feed materials remains the main limiting factor in the development of the Algerian poultry, especially for corn and soybean meal which represent over 75% of the content of poultry feed. Difficulties encountered by producers, particularly in terms of supply, increased expenses, disengagement of the State and problems in commercialisation of their products, has caused many skilled farmers to leave the poultry industry, creating a net loss in experience within the sector. In addition, the industry is also going through a period of modernisation and adaptation of this sector to meet the new world standards, including imminent integration of Algeria to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and partnership with the European Union, which involves free movement of goods, resulting in more competition and requires more integration with different partners (professional organisations, inter-professional associations) and various state structures and competent authorities (industry, agriculture and trade) with the establishment of an institutional framework for the development, implementation and monitoring of development policies in the poultry meat and egg sector.