Souk Ahras province produced 3314 quintals of cork during the 2026 season. Local authorities confirmed that the cork harvesting operation began at the start of July 2026 across the province. This production cycle involved forestry management efforts to extract the material from regional oak forests. Officials monitored the collection process to ensure compliance with seasonal standards. The output from Souk Ahras contributes to the broader Algerian forestry sector as stakeholders manage resource distribution. Operations concluded following the summer collection period, with the final tally reaching the reported figure for the year. In 2026, Souk Ahras province produced 3314 quintals of cork, a figure that reflects the intensive management of the regional oak groves. The provincial forestry department oversaw the logistics of the harvest, ensuring that the extraction of cork bark from the trees adhered to established technical guidelines designed to preserve the health of the oak stands.
Details of Harvesting Campaign
The 2026 cork harvesting campaign focused on an area covering 1792 hectares. Forestry teams conducted these operations within the Faj Al-Amd forest, located in the municipality of Ouled Driss. The 2026 cork harvesting campaign targeted an area of 1792 hectares in the 'Faj Al-Amd' forest in the municipality of Ouled Driss. This specific location was selected based on its maturity and the quality of the cork oak stands available for extraction.
Regional Rural Engineering Enterprise 'Babour' received the assignment to manage the harvesting project for the Souk Ahras site. The harvesting project was assigned to the Regional Rural Engineering Enterprise 'Babour' (Souk Ahras project). Workers from this enterprise carried out the extraction process throughout the designated forest zone to meet the season's requirements. These activities formed a specific component of the province's broader resource management plan for the year. By utilizing the expertise of the Regional Rural Engineering Enterprise 'Babour', the province ensured that the extraction process was handled by professionals familiar with the specific terrain of the Faj Al-Amd forest.
Economic Impact and Employment
The 2026 cork harvest generated approximately 40 seasonal jobs for youth residing in mountainous and border areas of Souk Ahras. The 2026 harvest created approximately 40 seasonal jobs for youth in mountainous and border areas. These positions provided temporary employment opportunities for the local population during the active extraction period. Forestry initiatives focused on these specific geographical zones to support labor needs within the province’s rural sectors. The recruitment of local youth for these seasonal roles served to inject economic activity into the more remote, mountainous, and border-adjacent communities of the province.
Long-term forestry development projects also shaped the regional landscape between 2014 and 2026. During this twelve-year period, approximately 180 hectares of cork oak trees were planted across the municipalities of Mechroha and Ain Zana. Between 2014 and 2026, approximately 180 hectares of cork oak trees were planted in the municipalities of Mechroha and Ain Zana. These planting efforts aim to expand the existing forest cover and maintain the sustainability of local cork production resources. The reforestation program in Mechroha and Ain Zana represents a sustained investment in the province’s biological assets, intended to support future harvesting cycles in Souk Ahras. Through these sustained efforts, the local authorities aim to ensure that the production capacity of the region remains stable for the coming years.
