Russia expects to increase wheat exports to Algeria - AgMin

MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax) - Russia expects to increase wheat exports to Algeria, the Agriculture Ministry said after a meeting of the Russian-Algerian intergovernmental commission for trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation chaired by Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev and Algerian Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Mohamed Abdelhafid Henni.

"Particular attention is being devoted to issues of developing trade in agricultural products, including increasing shipments of Russian grain. I would like to thank our Algerian colleagues for the successive easing of requirements for imports of grain products. This enabled our exporters to increase wheat shipments to the Algerian market. However, in the current circumstances more joint work needs to be done to further increase export volumes," Patrushev was quoted as saying at the meeting.

Russia resumed wheat exports to Algeria in June 2021 after a five-year break after the North African country raised the threshold for corn bug damage in wheat imports it allows to 0.5% from 0.1%. Wheat of the quality (high-pro) required by Algeria is grown primarily in Krasnodar Territory and Siberia.

Algeria imports a total of about 6 million tonnes of wheat annually, including 5 million tonnes of soft wheat and 1 million tonnes of hard wheat.

The ministry also said that at the commission meeting partnerships in engineering, energy, mining and pharmaceuticals were mentioned as priorities going forward.

Trade between Russia and Algeria reached $3 billion in 2021.