Algerian coffee imports up

Algerian coffee imports, mainly from the Ivory Coast, rose 11 percent in the first nine months of 2004 to reach $82.84 million compared with the same period last year, a newspaper said on Monday. Government-backed daily El Moudjahid said the north African country purchased 92,686 tonnes of coffee in the January-September period, of which 59,832 tonnes came from the Ivory Coast.
Indonesia was the second bigger seller with 10,747 tonnes and Vietnam third at 7,086 tonnes.
Demand is growing as cafes are opening up in main cities as Algeria sees a gradual return to stability after more than a decade of Islamic-led violence. This led to the deaths of more than 150,000 people, according to human rights groups, and halted investment.