Tunisia sees 25% increase in cereal production for MY 2023/24

TUNISIA—Tunisia’s cereal production experienced a significant boost in the marketing year (MY) 2023/24, with an impressive 25% increase compared to the previous season.

According to the latest data from the Cereals Office (OC), the country’s harvest has reached 660,000 tonnes, marking a substantial 130,000-tonne rise from last year.

The improvement in cereal output is especially notable given the ongoing drought that has persisted for over five years. Despite this challenging climatic context, the recent figures are a positive development for Tunisia’s agricultural sector.

Durum wheat leads the production tally, constituting 88% of the total cereal harvest with 578,000 tonnes. Barley follows with 8.7%, while soft wheat and triticale contribute smaller quantities.

Regional production highlights include the governorate of Beja, which has emerged as the top contributor with 27% of the total harvest. It is succeeded by Bizerte at 20% and Jendouba with 14%. Kairouan and Siliana round out the top five production areas.

Although the 25% increase is significant, Tunisia’s cereal production still falls short of the five-year average of 1.6 million tonnes. Furthermore, domestic production covers less than 20% of the national demand, at nearly 4 million tonnes annually.

According to a recent report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Tunisia is on track to achieve above-average yields in wheat and barley production for the 2024-25 season, driven by favorable winter rainfall and moderate temperatures after a challenging start during planting.

In the April 1 Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report, wheat production in Tunisia is forecasted to reach an impressive 1.25 million tonnes for the 2024-25 period.

This marks a substantial increase from the 441,000 tonnes produced in the previous season (2023-24) and is aligned with the 2022-23 estimate of 1.23 million tonnes.

The report highlights that the final wheat yields will heavily hinge on the rainfall in April, which could further boost yields by 10% to 20% if conditions remain favorable.

Despite this significant rise in production, total domestic wheat consumption is expected to only slightly increase to 2.8 million tonnes, reflecting the country’s steady population growth trend of about 2% annually.

The government’s subsidies play a crucial role in ensuring widespread access to wheat products at affordable prices for Tunisia’s approximately 12.5 million people.

The FAS emphasized that wheat subsidies remain a sensitive issue due to the strain they place on the state budget.

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