Excitement and skepticism surround Algeria’s decision to import beef and lamb to meet high demand during Ramadan

Algeria is attempting to stabilize prices as its economy continues to falter by importing vast amounts of beef and lamb in response to the anticipated surge in demand for meat during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The oil-rich North African nation is one of those attempting to import gasoline and food in an effort to satisfy the needs of Algerians who break their family’s dawn-to-dusk fasts by cooking dinners every night.

Australia’s beef has brought excitement and mistrust to Algerians, who are swarming to new imported meat businesses manned by white-coated butchers.

For individuals who cannot afford to purchase local meat, the emergence of shops such as this one is a breath of fresh air. After a half-hour wait in line at a new store, retired teacher Rabah Belahouane exclaimed, “As you’ve seen, the product is of high quality, and so much the better.”

Algeria intends to prevent price increases that would affect people unable to buy locally obtained red meat by importing food products. As recently as last year, when the supply of onions couldn’t keep up with the demand, such inflation afflicted the nation. Mali is to accept fuel donations from Russia while neighboring Tunisia intends to buy bananas from Egypt.