One of the results of the agricultural reform that Algeria has carried out in recent years is its determination to export to the European market. This is what prompted the magazine Jeune Afrique, on June 29, 2024, to speak of “the tomato war between Morocco and Algeria”, and this since 2019.
Algeria has begun to reap the benefits of the agricultural reform undertaken in recent years after deciding to imitate European countries and others such as Iran and Turkey in the search for food self-sufficiency. Over the past five years, Algeria has become the leading country, the second agricultural power on the African continent after Egypt.
Thus, the value of Algeria’s market garden production reached 23 billion dollars, according to figures and data provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
FAO assures that potato production in Algeria amounts to around 4.7 million tonnes per year, followed by onions with a production volume of 1.7 million tonnes, then tomatoes (1.6 million tonnes) in 2021.
Algeria also ranks fourth in Africa for the consumption of cherry and processed tomatoes, with 32 kg per year per capita, but is surpassed by Tunisia, which is the first in the world for the consumption of this substance with more than 97 kg per capita per year; then Cameroon, followed by Algeria, then Benin and Nigeria. Morocco ranks sixth.
Algeria intends to export a limited portion of its tomatoes to the foreign market, including the European market. Despite this, there is talk of a Moroccan-Algerian conflict, according to numerous articles in the press. On the 29th of last month, Jeune Afrique mentioned Algeria’s desire to enter the European tomato market.
Algeria is negotiating with the European Union to reformulate the trade agreement between the two parties, which has been frozen for three years since it considers itself the loser of the agreement. The European Commission does not oppose the allocation of a percentage to Algerian tomatoes, but this would be to the detriment of a share for Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Spain.
