✏️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers, Algeria | May 19, 2024 — The day has arrived. Today marks the commencement of Algeria’s third General Agricultural Census (RGA), set to run until July 17. This significant undertaking, the third of its kind following the censuses of 1973 and 2001, goes beyond mere data collection. It is a crucial step in Algeria’s journey towards achieving food security. The data gathered will provide accurate statistics essential for developing comprehensive programs, forecasting the importation of agricultural inputs, and gaining a clear understanding of the sector’s true potential. This operation has become necessary due to previously inconsistent data that often misrepresented the actual state of livestock, arable land, irrigated areas, and sown fields. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has frequently highlighted the need for accurate data to avoid misleading agricultural forecasts.
Reliable Data for Sustainable Development
Launched under the slogan “Reliable Information, Sustainable Development,” this census aligns with the government’s new strategy for food security, focusing on defining agricultural sectors and developing strategic crops. Unlike previous censuses, the 2024 RGA includes a technical operational committee dedicated to addressing all technical and operational aspects of the census. This committee includes significant entities such as the Algerian Space Agency (Asal) and the National High Commission for Digitization.
A Nationwide Operation
This extensive national operation required months of meticulous preparation and multidisciplinary, multisectoral coordination, leveraging significant resources, including the use of technological and digital tools for the first time. The collected data will form a reference database for various sectors and public development programs and provide valuable material for the scientific community.
Detailed Census Structure
According to the Director of Statistics, Digitization, and Foresight at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the general agricultural census aims to capture an updated image of the agrarian structure and incorporate all new assets and changes in the sector into the national agricultural statistical system. A detailed questionnaire will gather crucial, precise information, with data integration providing an updated view on numerous agricultural themes, such as input usage, mechanization, and water resources.
Organizational Framework
The RGA’s organization is robust, involving 29 national supervisors overseeing two wilayas each, 120 wilaya supervisors, 6000 census agents, and 1200 controllers ensuring data accuracy. The operational fieldwork involves a cartographic segmentation identifying intervention zones encompassing 220 to 250 homogeneous farms with predefined routes.
The data will be recorded on an Algerian-designed digital platform, with 500 data entry centers installed nationwide, positioned close to census sites. A pilot operation was conducted in February in six communes—In Zeghmir (Adrar), Aïn Naga (Biskra), Dréan (El-Tarf), Aïn El Ibl (Djelfa), Hameurlaïne (Tipaza), and Oued Taghia (Mascara)—to test the questionnaire’s effectiveness. The census, running from May 19 to July 17, can be extended by up to 15 days if necessary.
Call to Action for Farmers and Professionals
Yesterday in Algiers, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Youcef Cherfa, called on farmers and professionals to support the success of the RGA. Speaking at the regional meeting of the Algerian Chamber of Agriculture, Cherfa emphasized the operation’s importance in shaping the sector’s policies. He stressed that future agricultural and rural development policies will be based on the RGA’s results, reflecting President Tebboune’s commitment to this initiative as a critical tool for assessing national capabilities and making informed, science-based decisions.
The successful execution of the RGA 2024 will provide Algeria with a solid foundation for its agricultural strategies, ensuring sustainable development and enhanced food security for the nation.
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