Tunisia's date production reached a record high of 404,000 tons in the previous season, according to Drissaf Ben Ahmed, head of the National Commission for Date Marketing and Promotion at the International Date Council. This significant achievement was announced on the sidelines of an international workshop on date marketing and promotion, held in Tunis on September 30 and October 1, 2026. The country's date exports have also seen a substantial increase.
The export of Tunisian dates during the previous season reached around 155,000 tons, with earnings exceeding 1 billion dinars. Ben Ahmed noted that the current season's production is estimated to be slightly lower than the previous season's due to factors such as climate change and the natural rotation of palm tree production. Despite this, the production levels remain satisfactory.
Tunisia is working to enhance the presence of its dates in foreign markets, particularly in Europe, while also diversifying its markets and adding value to its products. The country's date, Deglet Noor, is well-known and in high demand in both domestic and international markets. Ben Ahmed emphasized the importance of promoting Tunisian dates globally.
The International Date Council's marketing and promotion committee, chaired by Tunisia, provides a framework for supporting the presence of dates in foreign markets. This is crucial given the increasing global production and intense competition among producing countries. Tunisia aims to strengthen its presence in the European market and explore new markets, including India.
Tunisia is also working to boost its presence in Asian markets, particularly in Indonesia and China, in addition to continuing to develop its presence in the European market. Currently, Tunisian dates are present in over 94 markets worldwide. Ben Ahmed highlighted the importance of maintaining existing markets while exploring new and distant markets.
The global market is witnessing changes, with the European market moving towards adopting new requirements related to carbon footprint. Ben Ahmed emphasized the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and highlighted the importance of adopting traditional and simple practices in date production to contribute to emission reduction.
The marketing and promotion committee is working on developing a joint strategy that leverages the experiences of member countries and adopts a unified label for dates at the International Date Council level. This aims to enhance integration among different date-producing countries and support their joint presence in global markets.
Key points
- Tunisia's date production reached a record 404,000 tons in the previous season.
- The country aims to boost its presence in foreign markets, particularly in Europe and Asia.
- Tunisia's date exports exceeded 155,000 tons in the previous season, with earnings over 1 billion dinars.
