Algeria sets potato price caps after ministerial meeting on supply

On 1 October 2026, Algerian authorities met to address the supply of potatoes, a staple of the national diet, after prices climbed sharply. Reports said retail prices had passed 100 dinars per kilogram in many markets and reached about 140 dinars in some Algiers outlets, against a usual range of roughly 50 to 70 dinars.

Following the meeting, the Ministry of Internal Trade and National Market Regulation issued an instruction fixing the farm-gate price at 60 to 70 dinars per kilogram and the retail price at 80 to 90 dinars. Trade inspectors were told to enforce the limits and to pursue practices that artificially inflate prices, such as hoarding and speculation.

The measure mattered because potatoes are a basic, widely consumed food, and rising prices put pressure on household budgets. Price caps of this kind have been used in Algeria before, but their success depends on whether enough produce reaches markets at the fixed prices. The decision set the stage for later complaints about empty stalls and scarce supplies.