BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohamed Abdelhafid Henni, laid the foundation stone on Tuesday for the project to build the National Center for the Development of the Argan Tree and Saharan Phytogenetic Resources (CNDARPG) at the level of the nursery of Oued Djezz in Tindouf, in the company of the wali and the local authorities.
Presiding over the celebration ceremony for the International Day of the Argan Tree (May 10), the Minister set the deadline for receiving the project at six (6) months, the first step towards the creation of an International Center for the Argan Tree and the promotion of this sector.
Among the missions of the center are the preservation of the ecosystem of the argan tree, the realization of experimental work in the regions sheltering the argan tree, the integration of the argan tree in the agro-forestry production systems, the provision of a seed bank, and monitoring the production of seeds and argan oil.
Mr. Henni recalled that his ministry had devoted a program to the development of the cultivation and processing of the argan tree, in application of the instructions of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, during the meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 30, 2022, for the development of the production of the argan tree in the regions of the south-west and the high plateaus, with in particular the creation of a national center for the development and promotion of the culture of the argan tree.
On this occasion, the Minister, accompanied by the wali of Tindouf, Mohamed Mokhbi, planted an argan tree using the “water box” system, given the climatic characteristics of the region, which require the introduction of modern technologies for water saving.
Mr. Henni received exhaustive explanations of how these technologies work.
Accompanied by the local authorities of Tindouf, the minister went to Oued Mehya, where he inspected the work related to the argan plantation project with private operators who have benefited from the rural development program.
The beneficiaries welcomed the support measures related, in particular, to rural electricity, wells, and drip irrigation systems, as well as training for farmers for the development of this sector.
They said they were ready to “take up the challenge to expand the cultivated area”, citing the results materialized on the ground in record time.
