Algerian fruit and vegetable exports generated about $250 million in 2025
Algeria’s fruit and vegetable exports generated about $250 million in 2025, up from $130 million in 2022. Dates contributed nearly $184 million, while restrictions on several vegetables continued to prioritize domestic supply.
Export revenue nearly doubled in three years
Algeria’s fruit and vegetable exports generated about $250 million in 2025, strengthening the sector’s role in the country’s agricultural diversification. Maghreb Émergent reported the figure based on recent statements to Ennahar TV by two industry representatives.
Ali Bey Nasri, vice-president of the National Association of Algerian Exporters, said export revenue had risen from $130 million in 2022 to $250 million in 2025. That represents an increase of about 92% over three years and indicates that Algerian produce is gaining a broader commercial presence outside the domestic market.
Nasri identified Europe, particularly France, as an important destination. He linked demand partly to France’s large Algerian diaspora, which provides an established consumer base for Algerian agricultural and food products. The available figures do not give a complete breakdown by destination or individual product.
Dates account for most of the reported value
Dates remained the main driver of the sector’s foreign sales. According to Trade Map data compiled by Maghreb Émergent, Algeria exported about 185,000 tonnes of dates in 2025, generating nearly $184 million. The country was Africa’s largest date exporter by volume.
On those figures, dates represented almost three-quarters of the reported $250 million in fruit and vegetable export revenue. The concentration shows both Algeria’s established strength in the date trade and the need to develop larger export channels for other fresh products if the sector is to become more diversified.
Toufik Hadkeheil, president of the Algerian Fruit and Vegetable Export Cluster, attributed foreign demand to product quality and comparatively limited use of pesticides and fertilizers. He also said 80% of Algerian farms cover less than 7 hectares. This production base supports a large number of small farms, but its fragmentation can make it harder to aggregate uniform consignments and supply overseas buyers regularly.
Domestic availability limits vegetable exports
Export growth remains subordinate to food availability and prices in Algeria. Hadkeheil said potatoes, garlic, onions and tomatoes can be blocked from export when domestic supplies are insufficient, in line with instructions from the president of the republic. Export permissions may therefore change when local supply tightens or retail prices rise.
Potatoes from El Oued illustrate the policy risk for traders. Exports to Tunisia were authorized, but the decision was reversed and shipments were suspended only a few days later, according to Maghreb Émergent. Such changes can disrupt contracts and logistics even when foreign demand is available.
Consistency is the next test for exporters
The increase from $130 million to $250 million establishes fresh produce as a growing source of non-hydrocarbon export revenue, but the composition remains heavily weighted toward dates. Further expansion will depend on exporters’ ability to combine output from small farms, maintain consistent quality and organize sufficient volumes for international customers.
Domestic market controls create an additional constraint for vegetables whose availability is politically sensitive. For producers and traders, the most dependable opportunities are therefore likely to remain in crops with a clear export surplus. For overseas buyers, Algeria offers increasing volumes and proximity to Europe, but continuity of supply will remain as important as product quality.
