Algeria Grants a 40-year Concession Contract to Italian Investors
The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries awarded the Italian company Bonifiche Ferraresi—BF a concession contract on Thursday in Algiers to implement an integrated project to produce cereals, legumes, and pasta in Timimoun (southern Algeria).
Mustapha Houari, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BF Algeria, received the contract from Youcef Cherfa, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, during a ceremony held at the Ministry's building.
Following the ceremony, Cherfa told the press that granting the concession contract to BF, which extends for 40 years and is renewable, reflects Algeria's commitment to supporting agricultural investment, noting that the implementation of the project is proceeding in 'very good' conditions.
He explained that the project entered the actual implementation phase, as the 'BF' company started to install the workshop, drill water wells, install reclamation and pivot irrigation equipment and launch the planting operations during the ploughing and sowing seasons.
Cherfa added that the project witnessed a strong start, and is expected to receive an additional boost starting next April, with the beginning of planting the dry legumes.
For his part, Mustapha Houari described the granting of the concession contract to the 'BF' company as a 'historic and strategic moment', reflecting the strength of Algerian-Italian relations. He stressed that the company's board of directors will meet on March 11 to discuss ways to accelerate the pace of the project's completion.
The project extends over an area of 36.000 hectares in the 'Great Ocean 01' in the Wilaya of Timimoun (southern Algeria), where it will be dedicated to the production of wheat, lentils, dried beans, chickpeas, in addition to the cultivation of oil plants such as soybeans.
It also includes the establishment of transformation units for the production of pasta, storage silos, and other infrastructure.
The total cost of the project is $420 million, as it aims to enhance national production of grains and dry legumes and contribute to increasing exports outside the hydrocarbon sector by exporting food pasta, in addition to creating more than 6,700 jobs.
This project is the result of a partnership between the Italian group 'BF' and the Algerian state, represented by the National Investment Fund, within the framework of an agreement initialled in July 2024.
The project is part of the national efforts to enhance food security, through the implementation of the national plan for the development of strategic sectors, which includes grains, legumes, sugar and oil plants, seeds, and milk.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
El Chorouk
6 days ago
- El Chorouk
Sixth Algerian-Italian Summit To Be Held Soon in Rome
The sixth high-level bilateral summit between Italy and Algeria will soon be held in Rome, the Italian Ambassador to Algeria, Alberto Cutillo, said. Ambassador Cutillo emphasised that Algeria 'has been and will remain a distinguished partner for his country.' He described the relationship between the two countries as 'a true friendship that remains alive even in the most difficult moments.' He confirmed that the Italian-Algerian relationship is based on dialogue, mutual trust, shared roots, and a unified vision for the future. He noted that Algeria plays a pivotal role within the framework of the Italian government's Mattei Plan for Africa. The Italian diplomat's announcement was made during a celebration organised by his country's embassy in Algiers on Monday evening to mark the 79th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Republic, 'Republic Day'. The ceremony was held at the ambassador's residence. It was attended by the Minister of Industry, Sifi Ghrieb, and the Vice-Presidents of the National People's Assembly and the Council of the Nation, Monder Bouden and Rabah Baghali, along with some ambassadors and diplomats accredited to Algeria, representatives of the Italian community, and Italian institutions active in Algeria. The Italian ambassador noted that the sixth bilateral summit between Algeria and Italy will be held in Rome, adding that it will be organised in light of the two countries' desire to build an equal partnership based on mutual respect and shared benefit. In his address, Cutillo recalled that on June 2, 1946, the Italian people elected a republic, which represents a powerful symbolic milestone. For the first time, Italian women were called to the polls. He described it as 'a day of freedom, democracy, and participation that continues to inspire the present and the future.' The ambassador also highlighted Algeria's pivotal role within the framework of the 'Mattei Plan for Africa' in strengthening the partnership between the two shores of the Mediterranean, emphasizing that this initiative represents a model of 'an equal partnership that imposes nothing, but is built jointly, based on respect and mutual benefit.' He concluded that the areas of energy, innovation, infrastructure, culture, training, and agriculture represent the pillars of bilateral cooperation, supported by tangible dynamism from institutions, universities, and civil society in both countries.
El Chorouk
6 days ago
- El Chorouk
The fragmentation of decision-making sources in Paris portends something more dangerous
The words and actions of the French authorities do not entirely align when it comes to relations with Algeria. While both French President Emmanuel Macron and his Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, claim to be keen on relations with Algeria, other French institutions adopt a different approach, leading to doubts about the intentions of decision-makers in Paris. A statement from the Algerian Council of the Nation, headed by Mr. Azzouz Nasseri, addressed to its French counterpart following the latter's repeated provocations towards Algeria, confirmed that the French authorities do not intend to put bilateral relations back on track, as long as there are responsible parties in Paris working to sabotage these relations. When an Algerian stance is issued that sovereignly defends the Algerian state, voices rise in the former colony, condemning what they consider 'Algeria's insult to France,' a famous phrase uttered by French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau last January, when an Algerian national was deported outside the laws and diplomatic norms in force between the two countries, which are governed by bilateral agreements. Days after the French Senate received the terrorist fugitive from Algerian justice, Ferhat Mehenni, for the second time in less than a month, some French circles emerged lamenting what they claimed were the pressures faced by the French embassy in Algeria, exactly as happened after Algeria expelled 12 employees from the French embassy in Algiers, in response to the showy arrest of an Algerian consular official in Paris, outside of laws and norms. The French are now talking about pressures they claim their embassy and its annexes in Algeria are facing, in the latest leak from an unnamed French diplomat, reported by Le Monde on Tuesday, June 3, in an article titled: 'The French Embassy in Algeria is under pressure and restriction.' The French newspaper quotes the diplomat as saying: 'The Algerian authorities operate according to verbal notes, according to current diplomatic terms. Messages written by the embassy are sent to one entity, which is the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.' The same source claims: 'During periods of peace in bilateral relations, fax replies only arrived in half of the cases, without anyone knowing whether that was due to bad faith or simply due to local administrative shortcomings, so imagine what that means in times of crisis!' The same source also spoke about the isolation experienced by the embassy's economic center, 'Business France,' which has an office there. It is deprived, the source adds, of official relations, and therefore cannot organize professional meetings or discuss investment projects, while its role is limited to analyzing the development of the Algerian market without any influence on stakeholders, especially in light of economic deterioration and a 21 percent decline in French exports to Algeria in the first quarter of 2025. They also lament the halt of cultural activities affiliated with the embassy, the difficulty of obtaining visas for French artists wishing to perform in Algeria, and the restriction on the French language, through the shift to teaching medicine and pharmacy in English instead of French, and before that, the cessation of police and judicial cooperation between the two countries. However, they ignore the reasons that led to this situation, after the visit of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Algeria on April 6, which had re-established bridges of communication between the two countries at all levels. The only entity that remained unaffected by the restrictions, according to Le Monde, is the French consulate, which continues to respond to civil status requests, ensure consular protection for French citizens, and process visa applications submitted by individuals, according to the diplomatic source, who warned that this crisis, if it continues, could lead to 'structural effects on the relationship between France and Algeria,' in his words.
El Chorouk
26-05-2025
- El Chorouk
Negotiations With Brazilians on Strategic Economic Partnerships
Algeria is opening a new gateway to promising strategic partnerships on Tuesday by hosting the Algerian-Brazilian Business Forum. This forum coincides with Brazil's assumption of the BRICS bloc's presidency for 2025 and just days after its official accession to the BRICS Bank. This forum, hosted at the Sofitel Hotel in Algiers, reflects a clear trend toward diversifying economic alliances and opening up to the global South through balanced partnerships in priority sectors, most notably aviation, automotive, and meat. This step comes at a time when Algeria's economic dynamism continues with other major powers, such as China, the European Union, and the United States, within a multipolar vision aimed at building a more balanced and equal cooperation system. More than 20 leading Brazilian companies in strategic sectors, ranging from agriculture and food industries to machinery and equipment, transportation, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, plastics, aviation, vehicles, and auto parts, are participating in the bilateral business forum. The event, organized by the Economic Renewal Council, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the APEX- Brasil Agency, in partnership with the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of Brazil in Algeria, reflects the two countries' efforts to build a solid economic bridge that goes beyond mere trade to a true partnership based on the transfer of expertise, the exchange of interests, and the creation of productive investments. This forum holds profound significance in light of Brazil's presidency of the BRICS group and following Algeria's official accession to the bloc's bank last week. This confirms its engagement in multipolar economic alliances, moving away from the traditional logic of dependence on limited partners. The Algerian-Brazilian Forum is not an isolated event. Rather, it falls within a clear strategic vision adopted by Algeria in recent years, based on diversifying its portfolio of economic partners and investing in each partnership based on its qualitative advantages in specific sectors. Previously on April, Algeria hosted a business forum with China, followed by another with Saudi Arabia. Just days ago, a high-level Algerian delegation, headed by Kamel Moula, participated in the Maryland Business Forum in the United States, with the participation of 35 businesspeople. Negotiations and meetings with the European Union are also ongoing to redefine the foundations of economic cooperation according to a more balanced vision that responds to national development priorities. In this context, Algeria is no longer content with the role of a consumer market. Rather, it seeks to upgrade its domestic products and integrate them into global value chains, particularly in sectors such as food industries, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, and desert agriculture. These sectors are experiencing rapid dynamism due to investment incentives and new reforms. A partnership with Brazil, a major agricultural and industrial power, could open real prospects for Algerian products to penetrate Latin American markets, leveraging Brazil's expertise in agricultural mechanisation, livestock breeding, processing, and pharmaceutical industries. This comes at a time when Algeria today realises that the current phase requires a transition from traditional partnerships to smart strategic partnerships based on integration, technology, and knowledge, far from the logic of unproductive imports or unbalanced deals. Therefore, it seeks to establish economic relations with partners capable of providing real added value, whether in training, innovation, or access to foreign markets. The Algerian-Brazilian partnership appears to represent a promising model for this approach, given its diversity, balance, and a South-South vision that is more independent and in line with national interests.
