Tiaret apple orchards yield good harvest 18 months after planting

Investors, including fruit grower Amine Derrar, are planting apple orchards in Tiaret, drawn by the climate and high prices, and his trees have yielded a good harvest.

TSA reported that Derrar started planting his 28-hectare orchard in June 2025. The trees have already given a good harvest, 18 months after planting began, and the farm was visited by Sid Ali Khaldi, minister of agriculture.

"We started in June 2025 and you can see the good results. We follow the technical process, we have engineers and a drip irrigation network.

We also follow new developments in farming," Derrar told the minister.

The orchard is 1,000 metres above sea level and receives more than 800 hours of cold each year. Derrar said this cold is needed to end the rest period of the trees and ensure good flowering.

"The cold and the sun are the conditions for quality," Derrar said.

Local officials said more than 1,300 farms in the wilaya are connected to electricity and irrigation networks. These networks have also helped the orchards in Tiaret to do well, along with the climate.

Algeria produced 591,700 tonnes of apples in 2024, according to FAOStat data. The harvested area was nearly 32,000 hectares, with an average yield of 18.6 tonnes per hectare.

Apple production has also kept rising. It grew by 27% between 2014 and 2024, according to FAOStat.

On the Algerian market, good-quality apples can reach 1,000 dinars (DZD) in Algiers.

Apple growing is already well established in the Aurès, especially in Khenchela and Batna. Its success there has inspired other growers, TSA reported.