Analyse comparée de la dynamique de la production laitière dans les pays du Maghreb

Abstract

Dairy cattle production has always been considered as an important axis of all agricultural policies adopted by Maghreb countries since the beginning of the post Independence era (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia). It has mainly been encouraged as a means of securing income and employment at the farm level. It is also considered to be a relevant way of ensuring the supply of high quality protein for rapidly growing populations characterised by changing nutritional habits. Dairy policies vary from country to country (supply with imported milk in Algeria, local dairy cattle production in Morocco and an intermediary choice in Tunisia), relying on different approaches and producing contrasting results. Thus, obvious differences exist between countries in terms of dairy performance and domestic market supply. This paper aims at comparing the recent dynamics of dairy production in the Maghreb countries with an emphasis on their future prospects: challenges due to the continuing effort to secure supply and to the upgrading of the whole supply chain by a better management of dairy goods quality and an equitable distribution of the income to dairy operators.