2023-04-21 17:30:00
ALGIERS- The Industrial Group Fertilizers and Phytosanitary Products, “ASMIDAL” is now heading towards the optimization of its production line thanks to the significant investments launched during the last three years, and this following having contributed for decades to the development of the agricultural sector in Algeria with the production of different types of fertilizers.
Since the recovery of national sovereignty, Algeria has implemented judicious policies to ensure the exploitation of its wealth and initiate the development of its industries, particularly following the nationalization of mines in 1966 and hydrocarbons in 1971, by launching several projects for the construction of large factories in several areas, including the Nitrogen Fertilizer Group in Oran which entered service in 1970, followed by the Phosphate Fertilizer Group in Annaba in 1972, two important tributaries of the agrarian revolution.
After years of intense activities at the service of farmers across the country, the factories of Annaba and Oran were merged and the Industrial Group Fertilizers and Phytosanitary Products, “ASMIDAL”, was born in September 1984, following the restructuring of the national company for the transport and marketing of hydrocarbons, Sonatrach.
The former engineer at the phosphate fertilizer complex in Annaba (Fertial), Abdelmalek Layachi remembers this period as one of the first engineers to take up the challenge of success in the production of fertilizers in Algeria. He had benefited with other students, in the late 1970s, from scholarships in Great Britain as part of Algeria’s strategy to train a skilled workforce capable of managing the different factories. .
“I finished my studies in 1982 and following two years of work at the Annaba complex, the public authorities had decided to restructure Sonatrach and launch Asmidal, a decision taken with a view to relaunching the production of fertilizers”, confided Mr. Layachi in a statement to APS, referring to the many challenges faced in order to ensure the smooth running of production units.
He cited in particular the challenges relating to the availability of spare parts. “We adopted innovative solutions because importing was complex and time-consuming at that time,” he said.
Given the great experience of retired engineers “the production units are calling on them so far”, he underlined while wishing to see high-level training programs “to train a new generation of labor qualified work capable of taking up the torch”.
In 2012, the ASMIDAL group set up three subsidiaries and four holding companies specializing in the production, marketing and development of fertilizers, food and phytosanitary products, industrial maintenance, training, security and support. safe.
Aware of the importance of quality in the development of the agricultural sector, the group has strengthened its structures with two laboratories for the analysis of raw products, fertilizers, soils and water intended for irrigation in Bouira and Biskra. It also has two units reserved for phytosanitary products in their liquid and powder form in Blida and Algiers and two other aerosol manufacturing units in spray form in Mascara and Batna.
Significant investments since 2020
The fertilizer sector has constantly faced challenges since independence. After the agrarian revolution in the 70s of the last century, the sector is now tending to take up the challenge by contributing to the achievement of the objective of food security set out by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Since 2020, the group has launched significant investments with a view to developing its activities, meeting the needs of farmers in terms of fertilizers and moving towards exports, such as the herbicide production project ( solid and liquid), which will be carried out in the Bir Labiod area in the municipality of Guidjel (Sétif).
On the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the recovery of national sovereignty, the group launched, in 2022, the integrated phosphate project, an investment amounting to nearly 7 billion Usd, as part of a Algerian-Chinese partnership agreement. This is a large-scale project which includes the development and operation of a phosphate mine in Bled el Hadba (Tebessa), the chemical transformation of phosphates in Oued Kébérit (Souk Ahras), the manufacture of fertilizers in Hadjar Soud (Skikda), and the port facilities of the port of Annaba.
Since Algeria also takes into account the social dimensions of the various projects, the integrated phosphate project will bring great momentum to the eastern region of the country, with the creation of nearly 12,000 jobs during the of creation, 6,000 direct jobs and nearly 24,000 indirect jobs upon commissioning.
The group has also been working, since October 2021, on a project to produce 200,000 tonnes of livestock and poultry feed of the “Mono-calcium/di-calcium phosphate” type and 120,000 tonnes of “triple super phosphate” type fertilizer. “, thanks to the Algerian Society for Animal and Plant Nutrition created by “ASMIDAL” as part of a partnership with the MANAL group, which will allow the valorization of phosphate from Djebel El-Onk in Tébessa and import substitution products intended for animal feed and plant nutrition.
In May 2022, the group had obtained the majority of the shares of the company ‘Fertial’ (51%) which enabled it to make the necessary investments in order to preserve the production capacities of the company as well as the positions of job.
During the works of the 29th International Congress of Fertilizers organized last February by the Arab Association of Fertilizers (AFA), the ASMIDAL Group obtained the quality of member within several structures of the AFA, a feat which remains the first of the gender in the representation of Algerian companies within the structures of the AFA since its creation in 1975, knowing that the presidency of the board of directors is ensured by the CEO of the Asmidal Group, Mohamed Taher Heouaine, also recently appointed ambassador from the African continent to the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) for the 2023/2024 session.
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