Algeria’s total land area coverage is 238174100 million hectares (ha) of which 41.4 million hectares of agricultural land (17.4% of the territory) and 8.4 million hectares of Utilised Agricultural Land (UAL). Agriculture has long been a critical pillar of Algeria’ economy, strengthened by the rich natural conditions.
Agriculture is the country’s second-largest industrial contributor to GDP after hydrocarbons. Agricultural, livestock farming, and fishery activities contributed more than 14 % to the country’s GDP as of 2020.
The state is speeding up agricultural development and offers considerable tax incentives to national and foreign businessmen to invest in the production and transformation of products of wide consumption, such as milk, cereals, fodder, dry legumes, and industrial crops, especially sugar and oil to curb its reliance on imports, wherefore, diversify the economy.
With the country’s climate and water table, the agricultural sector has a huge potential. As part of its agricultural strategy, the government has increased its agricultural ambitions in the past few years by promoting agriculture in southern Algeria, thus cultivating the desert.