ALGIERS, ALGERIA — Algerian leaders on Nov. 6 said the nation plans to increase its grain storage capacity by 1 million tonnes.
Abdelouahab Darmech, director general of the state grain office, said it will spend $500 million to build 39 silos, Bloomberg reported. The wheat harvest in the nation is expected to be larger after farmers were given incentives for irrigation.
The area allocated to growing wheat this season increased to 400,000 hectares (944,422 acres) from 330,000 hectares a year earlier, Darmech told Bloomberg.
“The last three years, production has been increasing, so we hope to maintain this trend,” Darmech said. “If farmers use irrigation methods, then the productivity could increase from 17 quintals (1.7 metric tons) per hectare to 30 quintals per hectare.”