Cereals and milk in Algeria: public Service obligations and economic outcomes

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the public service obligations carried out by two Algerian public offices, OAIC and ONIL, which are responsible for regulating the national cereal and milk markets, respectively. The data and information used are sourced from the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as reports from the two offices. These public entities serve as key instruments of state intervention in the fulfillment of public service missions. An in-depth analysis highlights the crucial importance of these public service obligations in guaranteeing the stable availability of food products derived from cereal and dairy raw materials. However, despite the significant turnover and annual budget allocations provided by the government, the financial statements of both offices reveal elusive results. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the strategic management of these public entities, which is expected to be guided by the Ministry of Agriculture through the monitoring of strategic objectives, particularly regarding the supply of cereals and milk powder. The question raised assume that EPICs, while providing a public
service, are not required to achieve satisfactory economic performance in terms of financial results.