Algerian citrus fruit production threatened by lack of rainfall
According to the same grower, the trees, which used to produce two quintals (200 kg) in previous seasons, will produce 50 kg at most this year.
Citrus producers in the Mitidja area, 90 kilometres south of the capital, have been forced to use groundwater and well water to compensate for the lack of rainwater, with the higher expenses that this entails, as it become necessary to purchase fuel to run the pumps and buy new pipes for some of them. Tanks need to be filled with water daily.
The same producer told the "New Arab" that some growers have been forced to borrow or involve the owners of funds in their activities in order to save their season from losses.
Last year, Algeria recorded a production of 8 million quintals of citrus, compared to about 11 million quintals the year before, according to figures from the Algerian Ministry of Agriculture, of which 74% corresponds to oranges and 6% to mandarins.
The Algerian ministry attributed the decline in production to the drought that hit the country by the end of 2015 and continued throughout 2016.
Citrus cultivation in Algeria includes about 40 species, namely 20 species of oranges, 15 species of mandarins and 5 species of lemons that usually ripen at the end of autumn and early winter.
"The citrus season this year will be marked by a much smaller production volume and the lack of rainfall will continue," said Mohamed Alioui, president of the Algerian General Federation of Algerian Farmers.
"The prospect is to reach 6.5 million quintals or 7 million quintals at best," he said.
He also expects the prices of citrus to record unusual increases due to an imbalance between supply and demand, which has been tackled in the past with the import of citrus, especially from France and Spain.
"Citrus consumption has increased significantly in recent years in Algeria," he said. "The reason for this is the higher demand for fruit for juicing, both from private companies and regular consumers, as well as the use of this kind of fruits in sweets. As a result, the acreage devoted to citrus production has expanded to 65 thousand hectares."
Regarding the possibility of growers suffering losses, Taher Barji, director of planning and agricultural studies at the Ministry, told the "New Arab" that if this was the case, producers would be entitled to receive compensations.
Source: alaraby.co.uk
