On Saturday, February 15, 2025, Algeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Fisheries, Youcef Cherfa, alongside the Governor of Algiers, officially launched the trial phase of a new dairy facility located in the Rouïba industrial zone. With a production capacity of 1.4 million liters of milk per day, this dairy becomes the largest of its kind in the country.
This project, initiated under the directives of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during the Council of Ministers meeting on December 30, 2022, aims to reduce Algeria’s reliance on imports while ensuring a steady supply of subsidized pasteurized milk. It promises to enhance the availability of milk in the national market, addressing a critical need for the population.
A New Era for Algeria’s Dairy Industry: Rouïba Dairy Enters Testing Phase
With this new facility, Algeria’s national milk production is set to see a significant boost, strengthening supply in the market and stabilizing the distribution of subsidized milk in sachets at regulated prices. The Rouïba dairy will produce the following daily outputs:
1 million liters of subsidized pasteurized milk;
400,000 liters of UHT (ultra-high temperature) milk, with a shelf life of up to three months.
This production capacity will help meet the needs of residents in Algiers and neighboring provinces more effectively.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the Rouïba dairy represents an investment of 5 billion Algerian dinars (DZD), fully funded by the Giplait group using its own resources. This investment aligns with a broader strategy to increase Giplait’s total production capacity to 2.6 billion liters annually, distributed across 16 industrial units throughout the country.
Giplait: A Key Player in Local Production and Dairy Self-Sufficiency
During the launch, the Minister of Agriculture emphasized the critical role of the public Giplait group in promoting local milk production. He highlighted efforts to integrate fresh milk from Algerian farms into the production process, a move designed to support local farmers and reduce dependence on imported milk powder.
Since the start of 2024, 68 million liters of subsidized fresh milk have already been marketed. The goal is to gradually expand this initiative to all public and private dairies across the country. With the addition of the Rouïba facility, the government reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the availability of dairy products at affordable prices for all citizens.
Trial Phase Begins for Rouïba Dairy (February 15, 2025)
In summary, this new infrastructure will not only stabilize the milk supply in the market but also enhance the quality of dairy products available to Algerian consumers. The launch of the Rouïba dairy marks a pivotal step in strengthening Algeria’s dairy sector, with the long-term ambition of achieving full self-sufficiency in milk production.
