Chérif Omari, Algeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, participated on Saturday, June 20, 2020, by videoconference at the conference of the Union of Arab Agricultural Engineers (UAAE) on "the role and importance of Ministries of Agriculture to preserve the Arab food security during the crisis. "

This conference was organized by the UAAE and the Union of Arab Engineers (UAE), and chaired by Yahia Bakour, President of the Union, with the participation of several Arab Agriculture Ministers, including the Syrian Minister of Agriculture and Agricultural Reform.

Omari, who sponsored the work of this conference, emphasized that the agricultural sector needs to integrate young agricultural engineers to boost the economy in the Arab world, in addition to innovation and technical and professional mastery in production systems, stressing the importance of putting the sector on the right track, especially with regard to scientific research and knowledge.

The revitalization of the UIAA and the spread of its efforts that will provide mutual technical assistance in the framework of development programs among Arab countries, in particular in the framework of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (OADA) will support the approaches of these countries to guarantee food security.

The minister showed Algeria's "full and constant solidarity" with the other Arab countries to overcome this difficult and unusual period that other countries in the world are experiencing (Covid19). "The health crisis requires decisive political decisions and important interventions to mitigate the impact of this exceptional economic situation," he said.

Referring to the Algerian experience, Omari highlighted the various measures taken by the State to supply the market for agricultural products, particularly consumer products, in addition to measures to combat the epidemic, such as the implementation of a crisis unit with the Prime Minister that includes, among other things, the Department of Agriculture. In this way, farmers could move to carry out their activity, guarantee the availability of agricultural products and facilitate the distribution of production equipment and materials, such as seeds, fertilizers, etc.

In addition, Omari recalled the creation of a monitoring unit at the Ministry level, with a view to coordinating actions on the ground and supervising the measures adopted by the Algerian Government with all actors on the ground: farmers, breeders, professional associations, chambers of agriculture, offices and groups under supervision (cereals, vegetables, gardeners, ...).

Furthermore, despite the difficult circumstances, citizens were not without food products, thanks to the efforts of farmers, breeders and supervisors who mobilized and kept up the pace of production.