Algeria expands nationwide inspections as fruit and vegetable prices surge
Algeria has intensified inspections of wholesale markets and retailers following a sharp rise in fruit and vegetable prices. Authorities are monitoring supplies, prices, storage, distribution and margins, with potatoes and tomatoes receiving particular attention.
Inspections spread across wholesale markets
Algeria has launched a nationwide market-control operation after an unusually sharp rise in fruit and vegetable prices. According to Algerie360, provincial commerce directorates have stepped up inspections since Thursday under instructions from Internal Trade and National Market Regulation Minister Amel Abdelatif. The operation covers wholesale markets and retail outlets and is being conducted with support from the gendarmerie and police.
The authorities say the inspections are intended to stabilise the market and maintain product availability. Teams are checking incoming supplies, prices, storage conditions, distribution routes and profit margins. The campaign follows growing concern among households over the cost of fresh produce, while officials have identified speculation as a possible factor behind the rise, particularly in the tomato market.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has also addressed the issue and said that most farmers were not responsible for the price increases, Algerie360 reported. That distinction shifts regulatory attention toward the stages between farms and consumers, including wholesale trading, storage and retail. The inspections are therefore following products across the chain rather than concentrating solely on growers or final points of sale.
Authorities examine supply chains and margins
In Tizi Ouzou, inspectors accompanied by the gendarmerie visited the Chaâbane brothers’ wholesale market on Thursday morning. They examined supply levels, prices and storage conditions. At dawn on Friday, Biskra’s commerce director visited the Felliache wholesale market to monitor the arrival of goods and their distribution circuit, with the stated aim of curbing unjustified price increases. Agents in Mila also inspected the regional wholesale market at Magra in Oued Athmania, focusing on arrivals, prices and profit margins.
Potatoes have become a particular target of the campaign. In Batna, inspection teams visited fruit and vegetable retailers on Friday with police and gendarmerie officers to verify compliance with prices set for potatoes. The provincial commerce directorate said its checks cover the entire chain from production to commercial sale. In Khenchela, a joint team of commerce and agriculture officials, police and gendarmerie officers visited the Ensigha wholesale market at dawn on Friday and informed traders about new potato price-regulation measures. The local commerce directorate reported abundant supply and stable availability at that market.
Retail compliance also under scrutiny
The operation extends beyond wholesale hubs. In Jijel, commerce inspectors from Taher conducted checks with police on Friday, reviewing market supplies and compliance with price-display requirements. In Oran, officials inspected markets and fruit and vegetable retailers with several police services, examining both adherence to prices and hygiene standards for agricultural products. The Oran commerce directorate said measures had been taken against offenders, although the source did not specify the number or type of violations.
Inspectors were also on duty in Draâ El Mizan in Tizi Ouzou on Friday, checking compliance with commercial rules and the availability of widely consumed products. Algerie360 described the provincial actions as only part of a wider operation across the country. For farmers, wholesalers and retailers, the campaign raises the prospect of closer oversight of inventories, margins and product movements. For buyers, its immediate test will be whether abundant supply in locations such as Khenchela translates into more stable prices at retail level.
