ALGIERS, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Algeria’s grain output this year reached 4.92 million tonnes, down from 5.1 million tonnes in 2012, a source at the agriculture ministry told Reuters on Monday.
The figure is slightly below the annual average of 5 million tonnes, an indicator Algeria is likely to increase purchases to meet domestic needs estimated at 7 million tonnes per year.
The source, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak to the media, did not provide further details.
But analysts said Algeria’s crop needs rain during two periods – the sowing season, when moisture creates the right soil conditions for the seed to develop, and in March-April to ensure the plants mature properly.
“We saw drought in the eastern regions, this is why the output is down this season,” agriculture analyst Harfouche Djilali said.
Algeria, with a population of 35 million, is one of the world’s biggest importers of grain with a peak of 7.4 million tonnes in 2011 and 6.9 million in 2012.
