Algeria's assets

An expanding market 

Algeria, North Africa’s most important market 

35.7 million inhabitants (2009) 
GDP: 167 Mds USD (2010)
 GDP growth rate: 2.1% in 2009 (excluding hydrocarbons)
 Trade surplus: USD4.6 billion in 2009*
 2009 imports: USD39.1 billion*
 Strong financial position: budget surplus at 12% of GDP,foreign debt at 3.6% of GDP** 
 Public investments: USD286 billion***

The European Union: Algeria’s main partner 

 The EU accounts for 53% of Algerian imports and 53% of Algerian exports
 France is Algeria’s leading supplier (16%), ahead of China (12%), Italy (9.4%), Germany (8%),  Spain (7.5%), the United States (5%), Turkey (4.5%), Japan (3%), the Republic of Korea (2.9%), and Argentina (2.3%). 

An expanding food industry 

 Algeria’s 2nd largest industry
 120,000 employees, 17,000 industrial companies, 95% of them private sector managed 
 1st African buyer of food products 
 75% of needs through imports
 Forward looking agricultural and rural development policy: USD20 billion*** 
 Launch of National Food Industry Development Plan (PNDA) : 50 to 60% increase of agribusiness in GDP (excluding hydrocarbons) 
 Creation of 4 technology clusters of 500 food industries. 

* Source: Algerian customs / ** Source: IMF / *** 2010-2014 five-year plan 

A large agricultural market
 

Surface area : 2.4M km² 
(the largest of the 3 Northern African countries, 10th largest country in the world, 4 times the size of France) including 80% desert 
8.5M ha useful agricultural surface (2008), 18% of agricultural land 
       • 52% fallow, 33% cereals (wheat, barley), 6% arboriculture (olives, stone fruits, dates, vines, citrus, figs),
          6% forage, 3% market gardening 
1M farms (2004) – 1.6M farmers (2006) 
PNDAR (National Agricultural and Rural Development Plan): modernise farms, increase production, fight desertification, optimise the use of natural resources, improve food safety… 
       • Improvements underway : increase of irrigated surfaces and agricultural production,
         a growing market 
ANSEJ (National Agency for the Support of Youth Employment): support for investments 
      
       

Agricultural equipment 

Imported products: greenhouses, equipment to spread fertiliser, fertilisers, plastics, ground work tools, harvest equipment, irrigation equipment and pumps, tractors.
     
        

The food industry

Strong potential and opportunities that need to be seized 
A strong demand for agribusiness products 
       • Food makes up 45% of Algerian households’ expenditure 
       • Algeria ranks 3rd worldwide for milk and dairy product imports 
       • High consumption of biscuits (2.5kg / year / person) and alcohol-free drinks (47l / year / person). 
Algeria is a high importer of basic products 
       • Algeria is the 1st importer of food products on the African continent, 
       • Imports in the food sector represented 7.7 billion USD in 2008
         (v. 2.6 billion USD in 2000). 
The Food Industry: 2nd industry in the country after the oil industry 
       • The Algerian food industry makes up 40% of national industrial turnover 
       • The sector is 95% private 
       • Between 30,000 and 65,000 IAA in the sector according to CAP 
         (Confédération Algérienne du Patronat) figures 
     
           

Distribution / Catering 

The majority of distributers are private companies 
Grocery stores and small supermarkets are spread out evenly in the country 
Approximately 8,000 traditional restaurants, 18,000 fast food companies and 600 bars 
The UGCAA (Union Générale de Commerçants et Artisants Algériens) encourages
       foreign distributers to open businesses in Algeria 
The bakery and pastry market in Algeria :
       • 12,000 to 15 ,000 bakers & pastry shops 
       • Bread is a staple food (on average 900g bread eaten / day / person) 

Algeria, a growth partner for your company