Latest news with #Algerian-Italian
El Chorouk
28-02-2025
- Business
- El Chorouk
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.
El Chorouk
25-02-2025
- Business
- El Chorouk
France's Pain Over Algeria's Wheat Production Policy
A famous French website specializing in agricultural news and defending its country's producers published an article that showed the extent of the pain affecting producers and others in the field of wheat and grains in general in France. The article discussed Algeria's policy of increasing the production capacity of this vital food product, which will directly impact the increase in the quantities imported from Paris. In this context, the famous website 'La France Agricole', which specializes in agricultural news, described the new Algerian strategy for wheat cultivation as facing an insurmountable challenge related to winning the challenge of yield in quintals, claiming that the goal of achieving self-sufficiency in grains is facing an imaginary problem that only the author of the article saw, related according to him to the high costs of cultivation and production. The website tried by all means to give the impression that the costs of grain production in Algeria are very high and not economically viable, by referring to technical cards allegedly prepared by the National Institute of Major Agricultural Crops, stating that while the yield is still below the level of 30 quintals per hectare set by the authorities, the cost of planting one hectare of wheat (soft and hard) during the 2022-2023 season, for all stages from soil preparation to harvest, is about DZD 206.000 (1475 euros), while the cost of planting one hectare of barley is DZD 157.000 (1251 euros) when using rented equipment. However, the article published by the French website, which often conveys the concerns of French grain producers and their complaints in particular, regarding the continuous decrease in their shares in Algeria, did not mention that the heart of Algeria's grain production strategy aims to increase the quantities produced in agricultural areas, most of which are in the desert across several southern wilayas, where the yield is usually not less than 50 hectares/quintal, and even reached 120 quintals in the city of Oued Souf during the last season. Given these high costs, the author claims, the farmer can only achieve a yield of more than 37 quintals per hectare of soft wheat when renting equipment, and between 27 and 30 quintals per hectare when owning it, according to the purchase price set by the Professional Office of Cereals at 40 euros per quintal. In a clear attempt to target the Algerian-Italian project to produce durum wheat, the biased article stated that the costs of producing this type in Algeria are the highest among all types of grains, with agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilizers, fungicides and herbicides) accounting for up to 75% of the total costs. This blatant French bias comes a few days after a heated debate in the Senate, the upper house of parliament, which showed real horror at the Algerian-Italian rapprochement, especially concerning wheat and dry legume production projects in the south of the country, which was understood by French elites and circles as a direct 'diminishment' of Paris's share in the Algerian market. During the discussion, the senator, Akli Mellouli, spoke about the Algerian-Italian rapprochement and the investments that he described as heavy within the framework of the 'Mattei' plan directed at the African continent, in addition to the competition of the Americans as well. In this regard, he said, 'As I was saying today, as we see about wheat, you know that there is a Mattei plan because if we do not take into account that we are not alone in this field in Africa, there are the Americans but also the Italians who have put in place a Mattei plan with very large investments in Africa in general, and especially in Algeria.' 'They (the Italians) will take 36,000 hectares in southern Algeria to produce wheat, and thus Algeria will achieve self-sufficiency and this wheat will also go to Italy, which means that the quantities of wheat we sell will be much less (referring to France), and this is also realistic,' added Senator Akli Mellouli. The French politician stressed that if this issue, the Algerian-Italian rapprochement in the field of wheat, is not taken into account, it will lead to further isolation of France because Paris does not only have problems with Algeria but also with other countries.
El Chorouk
16-02-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Fear of the Algerian-Italian Rapprochement in Wheat Production
Signs of real French fears regarding the Algerian-Italian rapprochement have appeared, especially regarding wheat and dry legume production projects in the country's southern regions. French elites and circles understood the Algerian-Italian rapprochement as a direct 'diminishment' of Paris's share in the Algerian market. The explicit expression of this French concern and apprehension about the Algerian-Italian rapprochement in agriculture and wheat production, in particular, came during a debate in the Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament, held on February 12. The debate brought together some members of the 'Sénat' with the researcher and professor of geopolitical issues Adlene Mohammedi, who is of Algerian origin, to discuss ways to resolve the diplomatic crisis between Algeria and France. During the discussion, which content was checked out by 'Echorouk', Senator Akli Mellouli of Val-de-Marne, who is also of Algerian origin, spoke about the Algerian-Italian rapprochement and the investments that he described as heavy within the framework of the 'Mattei' plan directed at the African continent, in addition to the competition of the Americans as well. In this regard, he said, 'As I was saying today, as we see about wheat, you know that there is a Mattei plan because we should take into account that we are not alone in this world in Africa, there are the Americans but also the Italians who have put in place a Mattei plan with very large investments in Africa in general, and especially in Algeria.' 'They (the Italians) will take 36,000 hectares in southern Algeria to produce wheat, and thus Algeria will achieve self-sufficiency and this wheat will also go to Italy, which means that the quantities of wheat we sell will be much less (referring to France), and this is also realistic,' added Senator Akli Mellouli. The French politician stressed that if this issue is not taken into account, that is, the Algerian-Italian rapprochement in the field of wheat, it will lead to further isolation of France because Paris does not only have problems with Algeria but also with other countries. In this regard, he explained: 'We have competitors who are our friends but also our rivals, and if we do not take this issue into account, we will end up isolated, because as I said, there are problems with Algeria and also in Senegal, especially with the development of anti-French sentiments.' Senator Akli Mellouli concluded his intervention by directing a question to researcher Adlane Mohammedi, which read: 'Do you think today as a researcher that we can abandon the Paris-Algiers axis, which is a strong axis for the Mediterranean, without doing injustice to others, especially for development in Africa?' In response to Senator Mellouli's question, the researcher of Algerian origin, Adlene Mohammedi, stressed that he does not believe at all in the necessity of sacrificing the bilateral relationship between Algeria and France, describing this discourse that calls for sacrificing this relationship as 'very dangerous', and also because from a diplomatic point of view 'it does not carry much weight and meaning'. Geopolitical researcher Adlene Mohammadi considered that the difference between France and Italy is the colonial weight that does not consider itself, pointing out that calling this plan by the Italian government 'Mattei' also has implications, because Mattei is ultimately 'Eni' and support for the National Liberation Front and the independence of Algeria, and it also has its impact in Algeria and North Africa. 'There is this difference and unfortunately we have a political discourse in France, regardless of the discourse in Algeria, because the discourse in Algeria is not new, in contrast, the expressions used in the political debate in France regarding the Algerian issue are at the expense of bilateral relations,' Mohammedi added. In this regard, he explained: 'I remember that before the legislative session and even before the amendment of the previous immigration law, there were parliamentary attempts to unilaterally overturn the 1968 immigration agreement with Algeria, and at that time President Macron stated that it was not the parliament's job to play the role of France's foreign relations instead of me.' He concluded by saying: 'Today we have the impression that this danger exists, even from outside parliament, through the ability of a clique or political class (referring to the far right) to influence, sometimes inappropriately and disproportionately, French foreign policy.'
El Chorouk
28-01-2025
- Business
- El Chorouk
Italian Idrobase Group Expands Investment to Algeria
Algerian-Italian distinguished bilateral relations have resulted in a new investment project, represented by a worldwide group leader in producing pressurized water technology, systems, and equipment. In this context, the world-leading Italian manufacturer of pressurized water systems and equipment announced the transfer of part of its production activities from Ningbo, China, to Algeria, through the establishment of a new unit, which will be a centre for developing the group's business on the continent and a starting point for exporting to the continental market. The announcement was made by Bruno Ferrarese, co-owner of the Italian 'Idrobase group', based in Borgorico, Padua, Veneto, northeastern Italy, several Italian media said. According to the same source, the transfer of part of the production activities of the 'Idrobase' group from Ningbo to a new factory in Algeria was dictated by several reasons, including the geographical proximity to Italy, and the fact that Algeria is also a gateway to the African continent, and its highly educated workforce, in addition to its infrastructure and low labour costs suitable for the region's development and growth plan. The same source indicated that the group has set Algeria as a major centre for developing its business in the African continent as a first goal in 2025, given that it is a world leader in the field of pressurized water systems and equipment, cleaning, disinfection and air purification. Commenting on the operation, the group's co-owner, Bruno Ferrarese, said: 'In anticipation of new global scenarios, we have been working for some time to reposition our international strategies, and while we have confirmed and wished to strengthen our presence in the markets of China and the United States, we have decided to invest in the cleaning sector in Africa as well, a continent with enormous potential, and therefore, to add a component in line with the Mattei Plan launched by the government.' As is known, the 'Mattei' plan is a development program launched by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for which the government of Rome has allocated 5.5 billion euros, and includes projects in various sectors in several African countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya, and aims to create added value by involving the local population and establishing them in their homelands and reducing poverty and irregular migration. Giorgia Meloni's plan is based on six main axes: health, education, training, agriculture, water, energy and infrastructure. For his part, the second co-owner of the group, Bruno Gazzignatno, explained that the specificities of the vast African territories require products that are adapted to the needs of individual markets, noting that for this reason, the group has decided to transfer part of the production from the Chinese production unit of Idrobase Ningbo to Algeria. In this context, he revealed that the group's production unit in Algeria will operate according to a system of assembling components coming from Italy in partnership with local Algerian suppliers, which will lead to providing high-quality products, but at a price suitable for the African market. Idrobase Group offers an ecosystem made of products, accessories, spare parts and services. A range can meet all needs of cleaning, sanitation and disinfection, nebulization, cooling, furnishing for outdoors and dust and odour suppression.
