Biskra.. Algerian dates break into world markets and prove their quality – Al-Hiwar Al-Jazaeryia

Since the beginning of 2023, Algerian dates have invaded new international markets, including various continents, thanks to the exporters of the state of Biskra, according to the Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, “Ziban”.
And this national product was able to reach, for the first time, new international trade spaces such as Australia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, as well as the Congo, Angola, Senegal and Ghana, and this is in addition to traditional markets such as France, Belgium, Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Mauritania and the United Arab Emirates, according to Tariq bin Abdul Rahman, who pointed out He indicated that no less than 314 export operations were carried out at the level of the Ziban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, apart from similar operations registered with the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, especially towards Arab countries.
Mr. Bin Abdul Rahman described the share of dates exported during the first five months of the year 2023 (more than 30 thousand quintals) as “considerable”, and it is expected – according to him – to double at the end of the current year, given that the curve of the exported quantities of dates is rising annually due to For the increasing demand for it, as the exported quantities amounted to 52 thousand quintals in 2022 and before that 36 thousand quintals in 2021.
And the Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry “Al-Ziban” highlighted that the number of date exporters, for example, to the state of Mauritania, recorded an increase, as it moved from one source to 17 sources during the current year.
In turn, Ezzedine Ghazal, the owner of the “Ghazal” institution for packing and exporting dates located in the municipality of Urlal, confirmed that Algerian dates, especially Deglet Nour, which are packed in his establishment, were able to break into Latin American markets similar to Argentina and Brazil, and Algerian dates were also exported – according to him – to East Asia. And Azerbaijan through spice suppliers who, in a reverse move, exported dates to these markets.
Mr. Ghazal mentioned that his establishment, which exports dates directly or through other dealers, exported this season quantities that exceeded two thousand (2,000) quintals of various varieties and were directed towards France, Germany, the United States of America and Canada, while these products arrived through intermediaries and exporters who bought the establishment’s products to other countries in the continent. Asia, such as Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and African countries such as Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mauritania.
For his part, the owner of the “Al-Baraka” complex for packaging and exporting dates and the manufacture of packaging materials in Toulqa, Ali Manea, stated that exporting dates to new markets is “a giant step that translates the will of the Algerian exporter to market national products to the most remote regions,” highlighting that his institution managed this The season includes entering the Malaysian market with a share of 40 tons, in addition to exporting about 1,800 tons annually of dates and their derivatives to France, Germany, Sweden and Italy.

Strong infrastructure to maintain new export spaces

The positioning of Algerian dates in the global markets constitutes the primary goal that the various actors in the field aspire to, as this allows marketing the national product at its real value and ensuring that it does not stagnate, as well as moving the wheel of the national economy and ensuring additional incomes outside the hydrocarbon sector, according to the Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce “Ziban”. “.
And the presence of a strong infrastructure in the region of Biskra, represented especially in a cargo station at the airport, as well as hundreds of cold rooms and dozens of institutions specialized in packaging, conditioning and processing dates and the manufacturing industry that adopts some types as raw materials, “contributed to the real start to achieve the endeavor to export the national product without prejudice to the specifications Quality and quality”, according to Mr. Ben Abdelrahman, who confirmed in the same regard that Algerian dates have maintained the pace that enables them to be present every season with the required quantity and quality and to respond to requests without recording imbalances that make them unmarketable.
In a related context, he indicated that this infrastructure, which provides ready-to-export goods, is accompanied by a strong will of professionals, especially at the local level, who have been involved in export operations and have contributed, along with the relevant authorities, in diagnosing and overcoming obstacles to promote export by addressing the concerns raised, especially in the field of transport. land towards African markets.
For reference, the Algerian dates, which are characterized by high quality and high competitiveness, and whose marketing is not affected by global conditions, can preserve the new markets that broke into them with the concerted efforts of all dealers, especially exporters who have special advantages, including those related to financial capabilities and quality certificates to face competition, according to the director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Biskra. .