By: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- The Minister of Trade and Export Promotion, Tayeb Zitouni, said, Sunday in Algiers, that consumer food products were available in sufficient quantities to cover demand throughout the month of Ramadan, reported the APS agency.
Speaking during a working visit to Algiers, Mr. Zitouni underlined in a statement to the press “the high availability of consumer food products, assuring that “the raw material is sufficient to cover production over several months”.
The Minister began his visit with the “El Mahroussa” edible oil factory which produces more than 400 tons per day, including more than 300 tons reserved for the 5-liter unit.
A total of 70 tons of oil produced by this plant is distributed in the wilaya of Algiers, while the remaining quantities are distributed through other wilayas.
Production is “more than sufficient” and “the raw material necessary for production is available and likely to cover demand over several months”, assured the minister.
To this end, he said that the overall volume of production of the six edible oil companies reached 4,600 tons / day at the national level, at a time when the needs of the national market oscillate between 1,600 tons and 1,800 tons / day, this which means that the production represents three times the national demand.
The Minister cited, in this sense, the ongoing efforts to improve the distribution of this product through the wilayas given its availability, advocating, at the same time, to constitute a sufficient strategic stock.
Mr. Zitouni also highlighted the sector’s commitment to modernizing the distribution plan for this product, according to the requirements of each region.
The Minister also denied the rumors about the ban on the sale of 5-litre cans, affirming the commitment of his ministerial department to satisfying the customer.
During the second stage of his visit, the Minister inspected the Colaital milk production unit in Bir Khadem, where he reassured about the availability of raw materials for the production of this basic product.
This file was examined at the last meeting of the Council of Ministers, indicated Mr. Zitouni, recalling the decision relating to the increase in production by placing on the market 5,000 tonnes of additional milk powder, i.e. 3 to 4 million liters of extra milk.
There are 4,900,000 liters per day on the market, said the minister, who was surprised by the queues to obtain this product. The quantities available on the market are sufficient to cover the demand, he assured.
The oil file is definitely settled and we are currently working to improve the distribution of milk to end the disruptions and queues at the points of sale, explained Mr. Zitouni.
In this regard, he recalled the sector’s efforts to establish a new milk distribution map that takes into account the nature of demand and the mode of consumption in each region, not ruling out the use of “additional measures to regulate the market and put an end to the queues”.
The Minister then went to the local market in the town of Tixeraïne, where he highlighted the role of this type of open spaces especially for Ramadan in offering citizens products at reasonable prices.
The Minister recalled the launch of 460 local markets out of the 561 planned across the country, specifying that the rest of the markets will be launched gradually.
At the point of sale of red meat, which is always full, the Minister indicated that he was working, in coordination with the Agriculture sector, to multiply these spaces with a target of 1,300 points of sale after receiving all calves and programmed quantities of meat.
