Abstract
Faced with mounting uncertainties threatening the sustainability of dairy cattle farming in the wilaya of Algiers, understanding and improving existing production systems has become a pressing necessity. However, the characteristics of these systems remain insufficiently documented to effectively address current challenges. This paper proposes an original analytical framework aimed at assessing the situation of peri-urban dairy cattle farming in the wilaya of Algiers. A field survey was conducted from September to July of 2023, based on a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 59 breeders. Breeding practices were analyzed, a typology of production systems was established using principal component analysis (PCA) and an econometric model was developed to identify the determinants of farm inefficiency and prospects for improvement. The results reveal that dairy cattle farming is characterized by excessively high production costs, reaching up to 0.78 Euros/Dairy Cow/Day, against an average milk yield of only 17 L/DC/Day. These findings are attributable to inadequate public policies, the absence of an incentivedriven business environment and elevated livestock input costs that severely undermine producers’ income. The results suggest that the modernization of dairy farming in the study region cannot be achieved within the current periurban agricultural framework. Production costs, identified as a key determinant of inefficiency, must be rigorously monitored and addressed through coordinated public action in order to achieve the expected performance improvements.
Keywords: Algiers, Livestock Practices, Performance, Peri-urban Agriculture, Production Cost, Typology