Tunisia’s date palm sector registers good performance

The date palm sector in Tunisia came in third place in the domestic farm products exportations, after olive oil and seafood products, an official source told APA. According to a joint report by the Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Investments (APAI) and the Inter-professional Fruits Grouping (GIF), the date production reached 145,000 tonnes, with 96,000 tonnes of Deglet Nour variety for the 2008-2009 farming season against 124,000 tonnes for the previous season, meaning a 17 percent increase.

The date industry accounts for five percent of the overall farm production and 16 percent of the total value of farm exports. Tunisian dates are placed fourth in the world’s ranking in terms of quantities exported and the leading position in the foreign currency income.

A study by the French expert, Michel Timsit, has set up a programme aimed at boosting the Deglet Nour variety.

This study was carried out in the framework of a project designed for strengthening agricultural services which were partly financed by the World Bank, improving the farm products quality, as well as promoting the marketing and export of Deglet Nour dates.

The great effort is centred on the streamlining of the sector, the packaging and adaptation of the product to the export market requirements, the French expert said.

The point is mainly « to improve the quality and marketing methods in a bid to face the competition of other countries, like Algeria and Morocco, and penetrate new markets ».

The study found it necessary to ensure « a better positioning, and identification of a distribution channel and the promotion of this product’s benefits ».

Source: babnet.net