In Algeria, cooking oil is the 4th most imported food product behind cereals, dairy products and sugar. In the country, the production of local industry covers less than 25% of consumption needs.
In Algeria, the agri-food group Cevital proceeded on May 30 to the inauguration of its cooking oil production plant based in the wilaya of Béjaïa. Covering an area of more than 1.2 hectares, the new 100% Algerian plant has a daily crushing capacity of 22,000 tonnes of oilseeds (11,000 tonnes of soybeans, 6,000 tonnes of sunflower and 5,000 tonnes of rapeseed).
It will produce more than 6,820 tonnes of cooking oil per day and 15,200 tonnes of oilcake for livestock feed. “The plant will enter production gradually from May 31 to reach its maximum level at the end of the current year. It is from our factory that we produce soybean, sunflower and rapeseed oil ”, explains Lounès Ihaddaden, industrial director of Cevital.
The factory’s production will be dedicated to covering the needs of the domestic market and for export. In addition, it will depend exclusively for its supply in various raw materials, on local farmers in order to create a brand of 100% Algerian cooking oil.
“In line with this government strategy, we are working closely with stakeholders in the oilseed sector, namely the Ministry of Agriculture, the farmers themselves and the Cereals Interprofessional Office (OAIC), to meet this challenge ,” said Malik Rebrab, CEO of Cevital.
The official also believes that the entry into production of the new plant should also help reduce the country’s oilseed and cooking oil import bill. Indeed, according to USDA data, the North African country is the world’s third largest importer of soybean oil behind India and Bangladesh with a stock of 604,000 tons purchased on the international market in 2021/ 2022.
In terms of socio-economic benefits, the new plant will initially employ 300 people and is expected to increase this number to 500 over time.
