The Tunisian date sector has recorded a significant qualitative leap in the current season, with the country achieving a record harvest of about 404 thousand tonnes, thus surpassing the 347 thousand tonnes threshold reached in the previous season.
Export volumes, for their part, advanced up to March 6 of the current year to around 99 thousand tonnes, with a value near 650.323 million dinars, marking a notable rise of 16.8% in quantity and 15.2% in value compared with the same period last year.
These statistics were presented during a working session held on Tuesday under the supervision of the Minister of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries, Ezzeddine Ben Cheikh, dedicated to examining the progress of the 2025-2026 date season and monitoring the various production and marketing indicators, as well as the preparation of the 2026-2027 season. The meeting took place in the presence of several ministry officials as well as representatives of the professional and administrative structures concerned with the date sector, according to data published by the ministry.
The session also addressed the interventions of the Fund for the Promotion of Date Quality programmed for 2027, notably with regard to support for quality improvement operations, packaging, and valorization, in order to contribute to increasing the added value of the national product and to strengthening its competitiveness on foreign markets.
Preparations for the next season 2026-2027 were also examined, particularly the financing mechanisms of the campaign as well as the conditions required for storage and refrigeration, in order to ensure good management of the harvest and to preserve the quality of dates at all stages of their marketing.
With regard to the sanitary protection of oases, discussions focused on programs to combat the date moth and on preventive measures intended to limit the impact of rains on the harvest, in addition to the monitoring of the national campaign to combat the dusty spider, as well as the continuation of oasis-cleaning operations and the improvement of the maintenance of palm trees.
On this occasion, the minister recommended accelerating the publication of regulatory circulars setting out the various steps of the date harvest campaign as well as the transport operations for agricultural products, while insisting on adherence to reference prices to guarantee producers’ protection and preserve the sector’s balance, according to the communiqué.
He also stressed the importance of better valorizing the palm tree by-products and using them in animal feed and organic fertilization, in addition to supporting the processing and valorization programs of dates, in cooperation with the various ministries and structures concerned.
The minister also called for rationalizing sulfur purchases according to real needs, accelerating the provision of mosquito nets within the deadlines set, and increasing outreach and guidance activities for farmers to improve productivity and raise product quality.
Ezzeddine Ben Cheikh finally emphasized the importance of continuing coordination among the various stakeholders in the date sector and strengthening support for farmers to ensure good preparation for the next season while preserving the position of Tunisian dates among the main agricultural export products.
