The CEO of Bf Spa, Federico VecchioniInternational Supermarket News | 10 October 2024
Algeria-Italy partnership: Major agricultural project begins in November with 3,000 hectares
A new agricultural project between Italy and Algeria is set to begin in November 2024 in the Timimoun region, located in southern Algeria. The Italian agricultural group Bf Spa, in partnership with the Algerian National Investment Fund (Fni), is launching this high-tech regenerative farming initiative. Initially, the project will focus on cultivating 3,000 hectares of durum wheat, with plans to expand to 10,000 hectares of dried legumes in the future.
This effort is part of a larger plan to develop 36,000 hectares for the production of durum wheat, legumes, and pasta, a vital step towards enhancing Algeria’s agricultural capacity. The agreement was signed on 8 October 2024 at the Fni headquarters in Algiers, with Fni Director General Kamal Mansouri and Bf Spa CEO Federico Vecchioni present.
The project will be managed by Bf El Djazair Spa, a joint venture where the Italian partner holds 51 percent of the capital, while the Algerian side owns the remaining 49 percent. The costs will be shared proportionally between the two parties.
One of the crucial elements for the success of the project is water supply, as Timimoun is an arid region. The Algerian government has already granted permits for the extraction of underground water to ensure proper irrigation. The Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources have worked together to issue licenses for digging wells and extracting water for agricultural purposes.
By April 2025, the project will expand further, reaching 6,900 hectares of dried legumes as per the initial agreement. This initiative marks an important step in strengthening agricultural cooperation between Algeria and Italy, with a focus on sustainable and high-tech farming.