• Algeria and Belarus discuss joint production of tractors and farm machinery
  
• Partnership aims to boost Algeria’s mechanized farming and technology transfer
  
• Food imports rose 10.7% in 2024 as Algeria seeks greater agricultural self-reliance

Algeria’s industry ministry met with a high-level Belarusian delegation in Algiers on Dec. 1 to discuss expanding industrial and agricultural cooperation, the ministry said in a statement.

Talks centered on establishing a partnership to produce tractors and other agricultural machinery in Algeria. Belarusian officials also discussed setting up joint production units with the state-owned industrial group AGM, which is overseen by the ministry and operates in the mechanical industries sector.

“The two sides agreed to move forward with the proposed partnerships and to set up a joint monitoring mechanism to ensure implementation of all industrial and agricultural projects, track progress, and support the strategic goals of both countries,” the statement said.

For Algeria, the initiative is seen as an opportunity to strengthen its mechanized farming capacity and benefit from technology and skills transfer to boost agricultural productivity.

Agricultural mechanization was highlighted as a key priority for improving the country’s farming potential and enhancing food security during a national conference on agricultural modernization held in Algiers on Oct. 27-28. Other priorities identified at the conference included technological innovation, smart agriculture and modern resource management.

Algeria is the second-largest food importer in Africa after Egypt. The country’s food import bill rose 10.66 percent in 2024 to 10.97 billion dollars, according to central bank data.

Stéphanas Assocle