Cereal imports (wheat, corn, barley) reached $1.89 billion in the first half of 2015, against nearly $1.77 billion in the same period of 2014, up 7.3%, said Monday the Algerian Customs.

The imported quantities recorded the same upward trend with an increase of 6.93 million tonnes against 5.86 million tonnes during the same period of reference in 2014, up 18%, according to the figures provided by the Algerian Customs' Centre of Statistics and Data Processing (CNIS).

The bill of imported wheat reached $1.36 billion against nearly $1.24 billion, up 10%, while the imported quantities totalled 4.38 million tonnes against 3.78 million tonnes (+16%).

Soft wheat imports have reached $879.54 million (3.41 million tonnes) in the first half of 2015, against $831.41 million (2.741 million tonnes) in the same period of reference in 2014, an increase by nearly 5.8% in value, according to the Customs.

For durum wheat's imports, the bill rose to $482.31 million (970,042 tonnes) against $407.44 million (1.04 million tonnes), up by 18.38% in value while the quantities decreased by 6.8%.

Maize imports, which decreased by about 3.3% in value, have reached $437.69 million (2.13 million tonnes) in the first half of 2015, against $452.54 million (1.78 million tonnes) during the same period in 2014.

Barley imports, which increased by 27% in value and more than 43% in quantity, reached $99.44 million (412,067 tonnes) in the first half of 2015 against $78.36 million (296,099 tonnes) during the first half of 2014.