The Tunisian date production has achieved a record high of 404,000 tons in the last season. The export revenues from dates have surpassed 1 billion dinars. According to Dorsaf Ben Ahmed, the head of the Agricultural Production Directorate and president of the Marketing and Promotion Commission at the International Dates Council, the exports have reached approximately 155,000 tons so far in the last season and are still ongoing.
The current season's production is estimated to be slightly lower than the previous season, but the production levels remain satisfactory. Ben Ahmed attributed the decrease to climate change and the natural alternation of palm tree production from one season to another. Despite this, the Tunisian government is working to strengthen the positioning of Tunisian dates in external markets, particularly in Europe, while diversifying outlets and adding more value to the product.
The "Deglet Nour" variety is one of the most well-known dates in Tunisia and is in high demand in both national and international markets. Ben Ahmed emphasized that the Marketing and Promotion Commission of the International Dates Council, chaired by Tunisia, aims to support the presence of dates in external markets, given the increasing global production and intensifying competition among producing countries.
The commission is making efforts to reinforce the presence of Tunisian dates in the European market and open new promising markets, such as India, which absorbs significant quantities of dates. Tunisia is also working to strengthen its presence in Asian markets, particularly in Indonesia and China, while continuing to work on the European market. Currently, Tunisian dates are present in over 94 markets.
Ben Ahmed highlighted the importance of preserving current markets while exploring new distant markets. She believes that joint action within the International Dates Council can support the efforts of member countries and pave the way for Tunisia to play a greater role in promoting dates globally.
The European market is shifting towards adopting new requirements related to carbon footprint, which requires efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ben Ahmed stressed the importance of leveraging certain traditional and simple practices in date production that can contribute to emission reduction.
The Marketing and Promotion Committee is working on developing a common strategy based on the experiences of member countries and adopting a unified label at the International Dates Council level. This can enhance complementarity between different varieties of dates produced in member countries, rather than focusing on competition, and support their joint presence in global markets.
Key points
- Tunisian date production reached a record 404,000 tons in the last season.
- Export revenues from dates exceeded 1 billion dinars.
- Tunisia is working to strengthen its presence in external markets, particularly in Europe, and open new promising markets.
