Tunisia strengthens support for date farmers facing drought and pests

TUNISIA – Tunisia’s Minister of Agriculture, Ezzedine Ben Cheikh, has announced a contract to supply mosquito nets to farmers, aiming to shield date palms from pests and extreme weather.

These nets aim to protect date palms from pests and harsh weather conditions.

Dates are the country’s second-largest agricultural export after olive oil, making them a key contributor to the economy. Authorities hope recent measures will help farmers safeguard their crops and maintain production levels.

“As part of this partnership, a first batch of 5 million mosquito nets worth 2.1 million dinars ($669,000) will be distributed during the 2025/2026 campaign, and this operation will be repeated during the following campaign,” the minister said.

The ministry also plans to supply sulphur to combat the dust spider, a pest that causes premature drying and discoloration of dates. By making sulphur accessible to farmers, authorities hope to minimize losses and improve fruit quality.

Tunisia’s date production is expected to decline by 10% in the 2024/2025 season, with harvests projected at 347,000 tons.

To support the sector, the United States provided US$25 million in funding last November to help strengthen production systems and improve resilience against drought.

Despite challenges, date exports generated 955 million dinars (US$299 million) in 2024, representing 11% of the country’s agricultural and food exports.

Authorities hope that stabilizing production will help maintain Tunisia’s position as a key player in the international market.

The Middle East and Africa’s date market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.99%, reaching a value of US$49.14 billion by 2032. Investment in research, packaging, and logistics is expected to enhance Africa’s export capacity.

During Ramadan, demand for dates increases by 40% to 50% in Muslim-majority countries. In 2023, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region produced over 1.2 million metric tons of dates specifically for the holy month. This seasonal surge often leads to price increases of 10% to 20% in some markets.

Exporters from Tunisia and Algeria experience a rise in shipments to major buyers like India, the UAE, and Europe during this period.

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