Page 46 - AA 2025 Year Book Summary

Tunisia

Agriculture in Tunisia Market Analysis

The Tunisia Agriculture Market rose Annual wheat imports costing USD
to USD 3.2 billion in 2025 and is fore- 885 million underscore the urgency
cast to reach USD 4.12 billion by 2030, of closing yield gaps through mecha-
reflecting a 5.20% CAGR. This perfor- nization and improved seed varieties.
mance confirms the sector’s role as a Urban income growth boosts pro-
pillar of economic diversification at a cessed dairy consumption, while an
time when Tunisia prioritizes climate import-substitution heifer program
resilience and technological upgrad- addresses supply constraints and up-
ing. Multilateral funding, such as the lifts the Agriculture in Tunisia market.
World Bank’s USD 520 million Emer-
gency Food Security Response Project, Rising Import Demand for
Tunisian Olive Oil
authorized in March 2024, accelerates in Tunisia market.
technology adoption, irrigation up- Olive oil exports earned USD 1.159 Soil Salinity and Land
grades, and financial inclusion. Cere- billion in the first seven months of the Degradation in Coastal Regions
als and grains retain primacy through 2023/24 crop year, 89% higher year Intensive greenhouse operations
concerted self-sufficiency programs on year, mainly to Spain. Although Tu- amplify groundwater salinity, with ac-
that mitigated 2023 drought shocks nisia enjoys duty-free access for only cumulating trace metals reducing wa-
when 2024 cereal production jumped 56,700 metric tons under EU quotas, ter suitability. More than 1 hectare of
to 1.5 million metric tons, while annu- organic olive oil shipments exceeding land is abandoned each year in south-
al imports still hover near 3.5 million 40,000 metric tons show rising value ern Tunisia due to salinity-linked deg-
metric tons. Greenhouse horticulture capture. Date exports worth USD 311 radation. Halophyte intercropping
is expanding rapidly, with tomato pro- million in 2023 confirm diversified and salt-tolerant varieties offer solu-
cessors handling 980,000 metric tons Mediterranean produce competitive- tions but demand technical know-how
in 2024 and solar-powered facilities ness. and upfront investment.
lowering energy costs. Meanwhile, Expansion of Greenhouse
chronic water scarcity of 450 m³ per Horticulture Footprint By Commodity Type: Cereals
person annually and regional invest- Tomato processors handled 980,000 Lead While Horticulture Accelerates
ment gaps underscore the ongoing metric tons across 23 factories in 2024, Cereals and grains accounted for a
need for precision irrigation and bal- allocating 94% for paste. Research 31.20% Agriculture in Tunisia market
anced regional development. confirms that photovoltaic-powered share in 2024 as national food security
Government Support and Subsidy ventilation meets optimal tomato strategies prioritized wheat self-suffi-
ciency. Durum wheat yields averaged
Programmes growth conditions while cutting en- 3.9 metric tons per hectare against a
The 2025 Finance Law reserved 10 ergy costs. Buried diffuser irrigation 6.7 metric tons target. The Agriculture
million dinars for small cattle breed- lifted yields by 23% versus surface market size for cereals in Tunisia is
ers, of which 5 million dinars fund drip while lowering salinity loads. projected to expand further as salt-
direct subsidies and breeding premi- Geothermal heating in Kebili supports tolerant barley varieties and deficit ir-
ums, complemented by tax exemp- year-round horticulture on 16,000 rigation stabilize dryland output. De-
tions on imported heifers until Decem- hectares. spite a 2024 recovery, annual wheat
ber 2028. A new social protection fund Chronic Water Scarcity and imports of 3.5 million metric tons con-
formalizes agricultural labor, boost- Inefficient Irrigation Networks tinue to strain the trade balance and
ing productivity and safety nets. Digi- Only 8% of cultivable land is irri- emphasize mechanization shortfalls.
tal platforms like “Engrais” streamline gated despite agriculture consuming Fruits and vegetables represent the
fertilizer allocation, reducing leakage 77% of available water. Over 40% of fastest-growing segment, posting a
and lifting the Agriculture in Tunisia irrigation draws on stressed aquifers, 5.20% CAGR through 2030. Tomato
market. causing quality decline. Dam reserves paste exports gain from stable pro-
Growing Domestic Demand for have slipped since 2017, prompting cessor demand, while olive orchards
Cereals and Dairy irrigation caps and shrinking cereal cover 1.68 million hectares and are on
Durum wheat now represents 20% output by 61% in 2023. High distribu- track to deliver 340,000 metric tons
of national wheat output on 48,700 tion losses require capital-heavy mod- in the 2024/25 season. Cash crops
hectares of irrigated land, reflecting a ernization that smallholders struggle led by dates achieved 369,000 met-
quality shift in consumer preferences. to finance, restraining the Agriculture ric tons and USD 311 million in export
44 Arab Agriculture 2025