ALGIERS: Algeria’s grain imports reached 6.93 million tonnes in the first half of 2015, up 18 percent from a year earlier, due to higher soft wheat and barley purchases, official data showed on Tuesday.
The government of one of the world’s largest grain importers has said it would try to reduce its import bill in an attempt to offset a fall in world crude oil prices, which has cut state revenues.
Soft wheat imports rose 5.8 percent to 2.741 million tonnes, while durum wheat purchases fell 6.8 percent to 1.04 million tonnes in the first six months of 2015, according to customs figures.
Barley import volumes were up 43 percent at 412,067 tonnes, while maize purchases rose 19.7 percent to 1.78 million tonnes in January-June 2015.
The head of Algeria’s farmers’ union has told Reuters that he expects the domestic cereal harvest for 2015 to remain unchanged from last year’s 3.4 million tonnes because of bad weather conditions.
