Food costs worry Algerians heading into Ramadan celebrations

As Algerians fast and pray and gather together for the holy month of Ramadan, a worry lurks in many minds: how to afford the holiday feasts this year.

In addition to its religious significance for the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims, Ramadan also means tables laden with rich and varied meals eaten after the muezzin’s call to break the fast at sunset.

Today these feasts come at a cost beyond the reach of many Algerians, whose purchasing power has declined in recent years, despite Algeria’s gas and oil riches, pushing more and more people below the poverty line.

Food prices meanwhile have soared, and tensions at marketplaces now occasionally erupt into violence.

Crackdown on Ramadan speculation

After Algeria was convulsed by nationwide protests in 2019, the government is concerned about broader social unrest and is promising economic aid.

On the ground floor of this market, the beating heart of commercial life in the Algerian capital, the merchants’ stalls are well stocked with fruit and vegetables, displayed with enticing artistry.

But as Ramadan approached, prices climbed.

The Algerian government has cracked down on Ramadan speculators, to little effect.

At a special recent Cabinet discussion of Ramadan food supplies, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune vowed, “all conditions must be guaranteed to allow citizens to spend the holy month in perfect peace and without worry.”

Meat imports and soup kitchens

Among his promises: government imports of 144,000 sheep and 46,000 cattle to make meat more accessible for Ramadan meals.

Locally sourced mutton from Algeria’s High Plateaus, known for its flavor and aroma, as well as young cattle from the Kabyle mountains, have become prohibitively expensive even for middle-income professionals.

Civil society plays a key role in helping struggling families during Ramadan. Restaurant owners transform their establishments into soup kitchens or “mercy restaurants” serving free meals.

Even the president acknowledged profound economic shifts in recent years. The average salary in Algeria is 42,800 dinars (329.5 US dollars), the equivalent of approximately 307 euros according to the official exchange rate, and less than 200 euros (235.5) US dollars) on the informal market.