Algeria reduces the costs of imports
The fall of 10.78% in Algeria's food bill has resulted in a decline of 8.75% in total imports during the first five months of 2012 compared to the same period last year, Algerian customs said on Wednesday.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Algeria-reduces...
Algiers food import bill, which ranks third in Algeria's imports (19.20%) of total volume, decreased by USD$ 424 million, fromUS$3.94 billion (billion dollars) during the first five months of 2011 to US$ 3,51 billion the National Center for Informatics and Statistics of Customs (CNIS) figures said according to APS.
The decline of the food bill is due to a decrease in various imported products, including wheat, which decreased fby 31.25% during the reference period , notes the CNIS. The cereal import bill is expected to continue its down
trend in 2012, with a good grain harvest expected this season. Preliminary agricultural forecasts indicate that the harvest should reach at least 55 million quintals due to good climatic conditions the daily El Moudjahid reports.
The CNIS says that there were increases in imports during the first five months in 2012 for non-food consumer goods (drugs, cars, fabrics and son, etc..) Of 36.97% with a total value of US$3.81 billion and crude products.
In May last year, the decline of the food import bill was "more pronounced" 12% to USD $748 million, as against USD$850 million during the same month in 2011.
The major food products imported by Algeria in May 2012 showed decreases the CNIS reported. This was the group which includes cereals and flours which declined by 32.2% as the bill went from US$409.29 million in May 2011 to US$277,74 million in the same period of the year. Pulses have also contributed to this decline since their value has decreased from 17.58 million to USD 9.40 million, a decrease of 46.53%, the CNIS said.
The value of imports of the group of "milk and milk products" has also fallen by over 4%, from 140.98 million to 135.33 million usd usd. In addition, other food products saw increases. The most important concerned the sugars and sugar confectionery (20.22%) to US$84.79 million, coffee and tea, and meat (9.5 to US$14,87 million. Moreover, CNIS indicates that other non-food consumer products imported have experienced significant increases. These include drugs, whose bill has increased from US$157.47 million to US$270.81 million up 71.98%. The import bill for passenger cars also rose 96.84% to US$ 391,22 million, according to the CNIS.
The website Nuqudy confirms that Algerian food imports have fallen 7.44 per cent in the first quarter of 2012 year on year.As for non-food consumable products, imports rose 23.7 percent to $2.04 billion this quarter, compared to $1.65 billion a year ago. Car imports jumped 53.4 percent from $478.8 million to $734.4 million. Car parts imports increased 47 percent to $109.8 million from only $74.6 million last year. Drug imports also rose 17.7 percent to $473.1 percent against $402.8 million registered in Q1 last year, while equipment imports shrank 28.9 percent from $4.5 billion to $3.2 billion.
Algeria was estimated to be spending a quarter of its import bill on food imports in 2011 according to the North Africa Journal( NAJ), mostly on four basic commodities, cereals, cooking oil, sugar and powder milk. NAJ says that Algeria spent a $10 billion on basic food imports in 2011.
Achieving increased agricultural food production to move towards food self sufficiency would also have the added benefit of reducing food subsidies for the Algerian population. As Algeria's oil and gas will not last for everit is essential to achieve food self sufficiency as government agricultural policy now recognises. A workable balance of payments is also an important requiste for membership of the World Trade Organisation which Algeria has been negotiating to join for a number of years.
The decline of the food bill is due to a decrease in various imported products, including wheat, which decreased fby 31.25% during the reference period , notes the CNIS. The cereal import bill is expected to continue its down
trend in 2012, with a good grain harvest expected this season. Preliminary agricultural forecasts indicate that the harvest should reach at least 55 million quintals due to good climatic conditions the daily El Moudjahid reports.
The CNIS says that there were increases in imports during the first five months in 2012 for non-food consumer goods (drugs, cars, fabrics and son, etc..) Of 36.97% with a total value of US$3.81 billion and crude products.
In May last year, the decline of the food import bill was "more pronounced" 12% to USD $748 million, as against USD$850 million during the same month in 2011.
The major food products imported by Algeria in May 2012 showed decreases the CNIS reported. This was the group which includes cereals and flours which declined by 32.2% as the bill went from US$409.29 million in May 2011 to US$277,74 million in the same period of the year. Pulses have also contributed to this decline since their value has decreased from 17.58 million to USD 9.40 million, a decrease of 46.53%, the CNIS said.
The value of imports of the group of "milk and milk products" has also fallen by over 4%, from 140.98 million to 135.33 million usd usd. In addition, other food products saw increases. The most important concerned the sugars and sugar confectionery (20.22%) to US$84.79 million, coffee and tea, and meat (9.5 to US$14,87 million. Moreover, CNIS indicates that other non-food consumer products imported have experienced significant increases. These include drugs, whose bill has increased from US$157.47 million to US$270.81 million up 71.98%. The import bill for passenger cars also rose 96.84% to US$ 391,22 million, according to the CNIS.
The website Nuqudy confirms that Algerian food imports have fallen 7.44 per cent in the first quarter of 2012 year on year.As for non-food consumable products, imports rose 23.7 percent to $2.04 billion this quarter, compared to $1.65 billion a year ago. Car imports jumped 53.4 percent from $478.8 million to $734.4 million. Car parts imports increased 47 percent to $109.8 million from only $74.6 million last year. Drug imports also rose 17.7 percent to $473.1 percent against $402.8 million registered in Q1 last year, while equipment imports shrank 28.9 percent from $4.5 billion to $3.2 billion.
Algeria was estimated to be spending a quarter of its import bill on food imports in 2011 according to the North Africa Journal( NAJ), mostly on four basic commodities, cereals, cooking oil, sugar and powder milk. NAJ says that Algeria spent a $10 billion on basic food imports in 2011.
Achieving increased agricultural food production to move towards food self sufficiency would also have the added benefit of reducing food subsidies for the Algerian population. As Algeria's oil and gas will not last for everit is essential to achieve food self sufficiency as government agricultural policy now recognises. A workable balance of payments is also an important requiste for membership of the World Trade Organisation which Algeria has been negotiating to join for a number of years.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Algeria-reduces...