Abdullah Al-Haqim 
Algeria– Algeria will turn for the first time to import to meet the need of its citizens from sheep during Eid al -Adha, to enable them to perform the religious ritual, after some Algerians played it last year due to the great rise in prices.
The Algerian President, Abdel Majid Taboun, directed, during the last meeting of the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Agriculture, to prepare for the launch of an international consultation in the nearest deadlines with countries, to import up to one million heads of livestock before Eid al -Adha, with the need for the conditions to include the price ceiling, and that the state should be imported through its institutions and specialized bodies.
Sheep prices in the country are witnessing a rise in recent years due to the effects of drought on pastures and the slaughter of female sheep, which affected the decline in their numbers, which amounted to approximately 17 million heads of sheep according to the last statistics announced in 2023.
The sacrifice price stabilized last year between 70 thousand and 450 thousand dinars (523 dollars to 3367 dollars), depending on the type and size of the sacrifice.
The demands of asylum escalated to import sheep and direct them for Eid al -Adha last year to control their prices in the markets and protect the purchasing power, but the process was limited to the sheep directed to immediate slaughter and red meat of all kinds to meet the daily need of citizens, due to the high prices of local meat that ranged between 2800 and 3 thousand Algerian dinars (21 to 22.45 dollars) per kilo.
Price
The head of the Algerian Organization for the Protection and Guidance of the Consumer, Mustafa Zabdi, confirms that, in addition to its importance in protecting the purchasing power of the Algerian citizen, it will contribute to the decline in the prices of sheep and the stability of the local market, which defines a record and unprecedented rise, allowing families to perform the ritual.
Zabdi told Al -Jazeera Net that all indicators confirm that the prices of sacrifices this year will be larger compared to the past year, noting that the small price of (Al -Hawli) (which ranges from 3 to 4 months) reached 30 thousand dinars (224.48 dollars), which is likely that sheep prices for slaughter are fictional with the approach of Eid al -Adha.
It is expected that citizens will be reluctant to buy the sacrifices of the feast with the issuance of the import decision, which will lead to a decline in prices.
He adds that there is a possibility for Algeria to import sheep from Romania, due to the success of the import of Roman sheep directed to immediate slaughter last year, if the conditions that will be prepared will be fulfilled.
Ahmed Al -Arabi, a father of a family, describes the decision as a result of the terrible rise in the prices of sheep, which prevented citizens, especially those with low incomes, from buying the Eid sacrifice.
He tells Al -Jazeera Net that the import of sheep will allow all citizens to perform this ritual at reasonable prices that take into account their ability, as was the case in the past years, as the price was in the range of 40 thousand dinars (299.31 dollars).
The sale regulation
To organize the sale process, the Algerian President ordered the work with specialized public cooperatives across the states to sell sacrifices in coordination with the bodies and institutions authorized to sell, with the possibility of sale through the interests of social services for bodies, institutions and companies, provided that the latter will ensure distribution and coordination with social partners.
The head of the Algerian Organization for the Protection and Guidance of the Consumer says that assigning the sales process to the authorities and public bodies is the best solution, as it is characterized by solidarity, as it aims to satisfy the needs of the citizen, in addition to cutting the way for brokers and speculators who resort to taking advantage of such occasions to carry out negative behaviors, such as buying sacrifices and reselling them at high prices, or slaughtering them and converting them into meat directed For daily consumption.
He adds that livestock breeders have an opportunity to organize themselves and establish exhibitions to sell local livestock at reasonable prices, as local meat remains a requirement for a group of citizens.
The herd renewal
The vice president of the livestock breeders, Ibrahim Amrani, says that the import of sheep for Eid al -Adha will allow the consumption of the local strain from sheep, which has witnessed in recent years a trend towards the slaughter of females, which threatens the multiplication of the herd.
He considered in his speech to (Al -Jazeera Net) that most educators value this decision, as it allows them to renew their herd of sheep and double its numbers, in conjunction with the lack of demand for it, which allows the preservation of the strain and improve productivity.
It indicates that the import strategy, in addition to the renewal of the local herd, will allow Algeria to get out of the crisis of local sheep heads within two and a half years to at least 3 years.
He noted the need to ensure that there is no mixing between imported and local sheep, in order to preserve the Algerian dynasty and its advantages.
