Algeria seeks 50,000 tonnes of soft wheat for November shipment
Algeria’s OAIC has issued an international tender for a nominal 50,000 tonnes of soft milling wheat with flexible origin. The purchase comes after roughly 3 million tonnes of soft-wheat imports since the start of 2026, as domestic production remains concentrated in durum wheat.
OAIC returns to the international wheat market
Algeria’s Interprofessional Cereals Office, OAIC, has launched an international tender to buy a nominal 50,000 tonnes of soft milling wheat, according to Reuters reporting cited by TSA Algérie and Awras. The tender allows wheat of flexible origin, giving the state buyer access to offers from Europe and other major exporting regions.
The deadline for submitting bids is Tuesday, 15 September, and prices must remain valid through Wednesday, 16 September. Although the tender specifies 50,000 tonnes, European traders told Reuters that Algeria frequently purchases substantially more than the nominal volume announced in its tenders. The final contracted quantity may therefore depend on the competitiveness of the offers received.
Two November shipment periods
For wheat supplied from the main sourcing regions, including Europe, OAIC is seeking shipment in two periods: 1-15 November and 16-30 November. Wheat sourced from South America, India or Australia must be shipped one month earlier, reflecting the longer voyage to Algerian ports.
The structure of the tender opens competition among several origins without indicating a preferred supplier. Freight costs, available export supplies and the prices offered for the two shipment windows will determine which regions are best placed to win business. European suppliers have a logistical advantage because of their proximity, while more distant origins must compensate through competitive grain prices and earlier loading.
Soft-wheat deficit persists despite stronger harvest
TSA Algérie reported that Algeria had already imported 3 million tonnes of soft wheat since the beginning of 2026, including 670,000 tonnes purchased in early August. Awras presented different figures for the August transaction: an initial estimate of about 720,000 tonnes, followed by trader assessments placing the actual volume at around 540,000 tonnes. The reports agree that repeated purchases are needed to supply domestic flour mills.
Algeria expects total cereal production to reach a record 5 million tonnes this year, according to TSA Algérie. However, the country produces more durum wheat than soft wheat. Awras said durum output is forecast at more than 2.4 million tonnes against national requirements of about 900,000 tonnes, potentially leaving a surplus of close to 1.5 million tonnes available for export.
Flour and bread demand sustains imports
The stronger durum and barley outlook does not remove Algeria’s dependence on imported soft wheat. Ghani Ben Ali, head of the interprofessional council for the cereals sector, put domestic soft-wheat consumption at 5 million to 7 million tonnes annually, according to Awras. Local soft-wheat seed production has progressed, but the country has not achieved self-sufficiency in this variety.
Soft wheat is a mass-consumption commodity in Algeria because it is processed into flour and bread, whose price is subsidised by the state. Maintaining mill supplies and stable availability therefore remains a policy priority. The new tender shows that even a strong overall cereal harvest can coexist with a sizeable import requirement when domestic output and consumption are concentrated in different wheat classes.
