Speaking at the 11 August inauguration of the National Seed Bank in the capital, Prime Minister Aïmene Benabderrahmane described how Algeria had descended from being the breadbasket of Europe during the Numidians era (202-46 BC) to being the world’s fourth largest importer of soft wheat.

Algeria imports more than US$10 billion a year in food products with the majority being cereals — mainly soft wheat — and milk. Soft wheat is used to make flour and therefore bread which is heavily subsidised and widely consumed. Durum wheat is used to make semolina which in turn, is used to prepare pasta, pancakes and couscous which is a national Algerian dish. Benabderrahmane was calling on Algerians to change their consumption practices by opting for products made from durum rather than soft wheat. He said that instead of being a major wheat importer Algeria should become a major consumer and exporter of durum wheat.

Nevertheless, the major shock in his address was his announcement that, in the name of self-sufficiency, Algeria would be ceasing the importation of market garden seeds from next year. However, he has not unveiled any concrete or precise plan that ensures self-sufficiency in market garden seeds, which are essential for the production of the vegetables most consumed by the Algerian population.

Questions are now being asked as to how much thought the government has given to this radical and unexpected decision. Algeria imports about 95% of its vegetable seeds so it is questionable that it can become self-sufficient within one year when this is almost certainly impossible. Without a miraculous solution, there will be no ensured production next year of the most widely consumed vegetables.

Algeria has been made progress in other seed production and is now virtually self-sufficient in cereal seed production — which took 25 years — while potato seed self-sufficiency has reached about 80%. In the case of vegetable seeds the government will have to reverse its wholly unrealistic decision if it is to avoid a massive increases in the vegetable and market garden products prices.