• Algeria approves live sheep imports from Brazil
• Move aims to offset drought-hit domestic production
• Brazil seeks stronger agricultural trade with Algeria

Algeria has authorized imports of live sheep from Brazil, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture announced in a statement on Tuesday. The move follows a bilateral sanitary and zoosanitary agreement between the two governments.

For Brazil, the new partnership is aimed at boosting trade between the two countries, particularly in the agricultural sector. It also signals Algeria's desire to diversify its supply sources to address a domestic production deficit. According to data compiled on the Trade Map platform, Algeria imported nearly $7.8 million worth of live sheep in 2024, exclusively from Romania.

The need to diversify supply has become increasingly strategic as local livestock farms struggle to meet domestic demand for animals intended for meat production. This is largely due to the cumulative effects of drought, which have reduced forage reserves and led to higher production costs. "Algerian livestock farming is largely pastoral, meaning it follows steppe routes on high plateaus, and its feed depends essentially on forage areas. This fodder is affected by increased drought, leading to a scarcity of food along the steppe routes. The herds are in a seriously degraded state," Ali Daoudi, a professor at the National Agronomic Institute, explained in comments reported last March by local Algerian Radio.

During the Tabaski festival in June, the Algerian government was forced to authorize the import of one million sheep from the international market to ensure sufficient livestock availability. According to local media, such a decision was not made in 2024, which reflects the local industry’s inability to meet demand.

Overall, adding Brazil to the list of sheep suppliers is expected to strengthen Algeria's ability to ensure livestock availability and improve food security while the country works to revive its domestic production system.

Stéphanas Assocle