Tunisia is revising its approach to promoting dates internationally, following a record-breaking export season. The country's date exports have surpassed 1 billion dinars for the first time, with volumes reaching nearly 160,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 campaign. This milestone has prompted the Ministry of Trade to develop a specific plan to strengthen the presence of Tunisian dates in foreign markets and diversify their outlets.
The Ministry of Trade, led by Minister Samir Abid, is working on a comprehensive plan to promote dates, similar to the strategy used for olive oil. The goal is to adapt promotion to the characteristics of each market and the evolution of international demand, highlighting dates as a healthy product. This approach aims to move beyond a promotion limited to a few periods of the year and establish a sustainable strategy based on anticipating market needs and continuous commercial presence.
Minister Abid has called for a comprehensive approach covering the entire date production chain, from production to storage and marketing. The ministry is working with stakeholders to develop a specific promotion plan for dates, taking into account the needs of various markets and the evolution of international demand. This strategy aims to break away from a promotion concentrated on a few periods of the year and establish a durable approach.
The new strategy follows an international workshop on date marketing and global promotion, where Tunisia emphasized the need to diversify its markets, products, and commercialization methods. The country's date sector has already made significant progress, with export revenues exceeding 1 billion dinars. However, the focus is now on creating more value for the product and exploring new outlets.
One of the avenues being explored is the development of new products derived from dates, such as date paste, syrup, or powder. The Tunisian date sector already has experience in this area, with exports of date derivatives tripling in five years, according to the United Nations in Tunisia. This diversification could help expand the offer to foreign markets.
The new approach also prioritizes support for small farmers, who are a crucial part of the date production chain. Minister Abid has emphasized the need to provide them with the necessary financing and means to commercialize their production. The meeting also discussed the costs of storage, transport, and labor, as well as financing needs and the impact of climate fluctuations.
The Tunisian government aims to treat the date sector as a complete economic chain, rather than just an agricultural product to be sold during the season. The goal is to create a sustainable and comprehensive strategy that benefits all stakeholders in the sector, from small farmers to exporters.
Key points
- Tunisia's date exports have surpassed 1 billion dinars for the first time, with volumes reaching nearly 160,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 campaign.
