Tunisia Agriculture Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Tunisia Agriculture Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Tunisia Agriculture Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.

• Agriculture is one of the key economic sectors in Tunisia, contributing to the domestic food security of the nation and providing employment to around 17% of the workforce. According to the World Bank, in 2021, the agriculture sector accounted for 9.14% of the country's GDP. Olives, wheat, barley, tomatoes, almonds, dates, broad beans, and apples are some of the important crops cultivated in the country. Olive oil is the most important agricultural product for Tunisia due to its high export value, as the country is the fourth largest olive producer in the world.
• Due to the country's proximity to European nations, most of the agricultural exports are targeted toward and are dependent on the European market. As a result, due to the growing demand for organic products in the European region and domestic market, organic farming in the country has increased in recent years to leverage the demand for organic products.
• Tunisia is a net importer of agricultural products due to the low domestic production of cereals and vegetables. The government of Tunisia and several global organizations have taken many measures to boost agricultural production in the country to meet the nation's food security and diversify the country's economy. For instance, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development commissioned a project Promotion of Agricultural Economic Development in Tunisia (PEAD) in 2020, aimed at improving the agricultural productivity of smallholders in the country. The project also aims at developing small and medium agricultural enterprises, thereby improving the agricultural economy in the country.

In Tunisia, organic cultivation has been gaining prominence over the last few years. Despite being one of the smallest countries in Africa, Tunisia dominates the continent in terms of organic agricultural land and farming. According to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) statistics, the area under organic cultivation stood at 297,137 hectares in 2020. This trend is largely favored by active government policies promoting organic cultivation in the country due to the increasing demand for organic products in the European market.

Most of the organic land in Tunisia is dedicated to growing olives and dates, and the land area is being gradually increased in recent years. The organic farming area of olives increased by over 15,000 hectares during 2018-2020, reaching 256,173.0 hectares in 2020. The country has also taken measures to establish licensing agencies for organic certification. Four certification bodies, which include IMC, LACON, ECOCERT, and BCS, are licensed under the Ministry of Tunisian Agriculture. With an increase in the area under organic farmland and growing demand for regional organic exports, the agriculture sector in Tunisia is expected to grow during the forecast period.

Despite being a net importer of agricultural products, Tunisia exports various types of agricultural products to neighboring countries and European nations. Agricultural products such as tomatoes, olive oil, potatoes, lettuce, dates, etc., are some of the most exported agriculture products of Tunisia. The export of the country's agricultural products is further strengthened by trade agreements with EU nations, which allow tax-free trade between the nations. As a result, the agricultural exports of the country have increased gradually in recent years. According to the ITC Trade Map, the tomato exports of the country increased by over 50% during the period 2017-2021, reaching over USD 51.96 million in 2021.

Furthermore, the country is promoting its agricultural products globally through various initiatives. For Instance, the Tunisian government launched PAMPAT 2 (Project for Market Access of Typical Agrofood Products) in January 2020, which is aimed at promoting Tunisian local food products. The project is promoting various agricultural products, such as prickly pear, dried tomatoes, processed dates, and pomegranates. As a result, almost 90% of the dried tomatoes produced in the country are exported across the world due to government support and high export value. Therefore, the high export value of agricultural produce, supported by the government’s initiatives, is anticipated to drive the agriculture market in the country in the coming years.

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