algerianow

Algeria's Sahara aquaculture push: Ouargla fish-feed plant due before year-end

8 November 2026 · Algeria Now

Algeria's Sahara aquaculture push: Ouargla fish-feed plant due before year-end — Photo : trianglegh.org (adresse collée)

A fish-feed production unit at the pilot aquaculture farm of Hassi-Benabdallah, in Ouargla province, is due to begin operating before the end of 2026, the provincial directorate of fisheries and aquaculture announced on Thursday.

The plant, in the district of Sidi-Khouiled, is an Algerian-South Korean cooperation project. According to the directorate's head, Salah Bouaicha, it will grind and mix raw materials, dry the product and store it in cold rooms to produce finished feed for several species of fish. Its theoretical capacity is about 10 tonnes a day, and it is expected to create about 20 direct jobs and 20 to 30 indirect ones.

The aim is to supply fish farmers and reduce the local shortfall in feed, a major cost for fish farms in a desert region far from the coast.

The farm's director, Farid Draou, gave figures for the hatchery. Last year it produced 500,000 Nile tilapia fingerlings, as young fish are called. Of these, 400,000 were stocked in the farm's outdoor ponds and 100,000 were given to farmers for aquaponics, a method combining fish farming with growing plants, sparing them the cost of buying fingerlings from other provinces. Stocking runs from March to the end of August across 11 ponds, and the fish are harvested gradually from September to February. Some have already been sold at fishmongers in Ouargla and at the outlets of the Groupe avicole de l'Est, which owns the farm. Officials say consumer demand for tilapia is growing.

Fish farming in the Sahara relies on underground water, a resource Algeria also uses for agriculture in its south. By producing feed locally, the project is meant to make freshwater fish farming more viable there and reduce the need to bring supplies from the north of the country.

More from Algeria Now

algeria {{ nowMark }}

{{ l.label }}

{{ srTopicsLbl }}

{{ it.a }}{{ it.m }}{{ it.b }}{{ it.meta }}

{{ t.trend }}

{{ tr.label }}

{{ t.breaking }} {{ brk.title }}

{{ t.live }} {{ tickerTitle }}

{{ ticker.ago }}

{{ SB.title }}

{{ SB.live }}

{{ liveTick }}

{{ art.title }}

{{ art.dateLabel }}

{{ artReadLbl }}

{{ t.loadingArt }}{{ artPctLabel }}

{{ p.text }}

{{ g.t }}

{{ t.noBody }}

{{ t.source }} : {{ art.source }} {{ art.dateLabel }}

{{ nxT.next }}{{ nextArt.title }}{{ nextArt.meta }}{{ nxT.read }}

{{ nxT.same }}

{{ it.title }}{{ it.ago }}

{{ searchTitle }}

{{ sr.countLabel }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.snip }} {{ it.meta }}

{{ sr.msg }}

algerianow

Your daily window into Algeria

Algeria’s news. In English. Every day.

{{ VT.videos }}

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ VT.latest }}

{{ v.catLabel }} {{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ svStTitle }}

{{ g.label }}

{{ v.catLabel }} {{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ t.archives }}

{{ ar.countLabel }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.snip }} {{ it.meta }}

{{ ar.msg }}

{{ t.archOff }}

{{ t.loading }}

{{ hero.catLabel }}

{{ hero.title }}

{{ hero.ago }} · {{ stT.sum }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ une2.catLabel }}

{{ une2.title }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }}

{{ stT.k1 }}

{{ VT.videos }}

{{ svAllLabel }} ›

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ svFeat.plat }}

> {{ svFeat.catLabel }} {{ svFeat.title }} {{ svFeat.meta }}

{{ VT.latest }}

{{ v.catLabel }} {{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ t.scores }}

{{ spUpdated }}

{{ lg.label }}{{ lg.season }}

{{ lg.sourceName }}

{{ mt.whenU }} {{ mt.home.name }}{{ mt.hsL }} {{ mt.away.name }}{{ mt.asL }}

{{ mt.evAll }}

{{ t.table }}

#{{ t.cols.p }}{{ t.cols.gd }}{{ t.cols.pts }}

{{ r.pos }} {{ r.name }} {{ r.played }} {{ r.gdLabel }} {{ r.pts }}

{{ st.scorers }}

{{ s.rank }} {{ s.name }}{{ s.team }} {{ s.goals }}

{{ lg.scorersMsg }}

{{ sportMsg }}

{{ VT.sport }}

{{ v.title }} {{ v.meta }}

{{ sec.label }}

{{ it.title }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ sec.q.who }}

{{ t.feed }}

{{ bk.big.catLabel }} {{ bk.big.title }} {{ bk.big.ago }}

{{ sd.catLabel }} {{ sd.title }} {{ sd.ago }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ bk.big.catLabel }} {{ bk.big.title }} {{ bk.big.ago }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ it.catLabel }} {{ it.title }} {{ it.ago }}

{{ bk.w.catLabel }} {{ bk.w.title }} {{ bk.w.ago }}

{{ pt.catLabel }} {{ pt.title }} {{ pt.ago }}

{{ du.catLabel }} {{ du.title }} {{ du.ago }}

{{ catListTitle }}

{{ cl.countLabel }}

{{ it.title }} {{ it.snip }} {{ it.meta }}

{{ cl.msg }}

{{ t.empty }}

Dégradé de la une

Intensité{{ L.twForceTxt }}