ALGIERS- Algeria, one of the world's largest grain importers, saw its imports of cereal, semolina and flour fall 5.2 percent by value in the first 10 months of 2017, official data showed.
The North African country has been trying to cut grain purchases from abroad to ease financial pressure caused by a sharp fall in its revenues from the energy sector, the main source of state finances.
Spending on imports of durum wheat, soft wheat, semolina and flour declined to $2.27 billion during January-October, from $2.4 billion in the same period last year, Algerian customs figures showed.
It did not provide import volumes.
Algeria's grain output reached 3.5 million tonnes this year, up from 3.4 million tonnes in 2016 but down from 4 million tonnes the previous year.
(Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed; Editing by Ulf Laessing and Susan Fenton) ((hamid.ouldahmed@thomsonreuters.com;))
The North African country has been trying to cut grain purchases from abroad to ease financial pressure caused by a sharp fall in its revenues from the energy sector, the main source of state finances.
Spending on imports of durum wheat, soft wheat, semolina and flour declined to $2.27 billion during January-October, from $2.4 billion in the same period last year, Algerian customs figures showed.
It did not provide import volumes.
Algeria's grain output reached 3.5 million tonnes this year, up from 3.4 million tonnes in 2016 but down from 4 million tonnes the previous year.
(Reporting by Hamid Ould Ahmed; Editing by Ulf Laessing and Susan Fenton) ((hamid.ouldahmed@thomsonreuters.com;))
