• Algeria opens 1,200-tonne-per-day Rouiba dairy plant

• Project aims to cut shortages, reduce dairy imports

• Government pursues foreign partnerships, $3.5 billion Baladna plan

Algeria’s agriculture ministry on Feb. 19 inaugurated a new dairy plant in the Rouiba industrial zone, part of efforts to expand domestic milk production, local media reported.

The facility, built by state-owned group Giplait on a four-hectare site, has capacity to produce 1,200 metric tons of milk per day. Authorities say it is the largest operating dairy plant in the country.

“The Rouiba dairy is equipped with modern machinery designed to improve efficiency and product quality,” Giplait chief executive Samah Lahlouh said. “The project marks a strategic step toward strengthening the dairy sector, reducing supply shortages and stabilizing the domestic market.”

The investment cost was not disclosed. Alongside state-led projects, the government is seeking foreign partners to boost local production. In January, Giplait began talks with Russian group EkoNiva on setting up pilot dairy farms focused on raw milk production.

Separately, Qatari group Baladna plans to break ground in 2026 on a $3.5 billion agro-industrial complex in Algeria aimed at producing 200,000 metric tons of powdered milk annually. The facility is scheduled to come online in 2027 and has been described as the world’s largest integrated dairy project.

Data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization show Algeria imported an average of 431,270 metric tons of dairy products per year between 2020 and 2024, including powdered milk, cheese and butter. Imports peaked at 452,812 metric tons in 2022. Over the period, the annual import bill averaged $1.61 billion, reaching $2 billion in 2022.

Stéphanas Assocle