Date Palm Marketing Unit "From Producer to Consumer" in Tunis
A longitudinal and covered tent, located in Tunis, just a few dozen meters from the TGM line, hosts stands representing the masters of Tunisian oases from November 20 to December 7. They have come in large numbers to offer the public a multitude of indigenous and introduced date varieties to enrich the date palm capital.
The Most Prized Variety: "Deglet Nour"
The most prized variety, without a doubt, is the "Deglet Nour" or "the date that brightens your day". Under the tent, producers majestically display their precious and delicious merchandise. All share the same passion, the same profession, the same constraints, and the same hopes.
A Report from the Field
It's noon on Friday, November 28, 2025. In a winter season marked by heavy rainfall, passersby enter the immense longitudinal tent to discover a southern atmosphere where human warmth and the sweetness of dates speak the same language. Here, dates from Tozeur, Kébili, and all the oases of the south are the stars.
Producers' Testimonials
Anis Abadiya, from Tozeur, has traveled to participate in the date marketing event for the first time. "I came to boost the sale of my products. I find this initiative interesting. It would be great to decentralize it to benefit consumers in all regions," he says. Samah Hachadni, from Nafta, shares the same opinion. "I'm participating for the second time. This type of event attracts a good crowd, allowing me to gain better visibility for my products," she notes.
A Variety of Dates for Every Taste
Dates occupy the space and leave no visitor indifferent. The varieties on display showcase the potential and richness of Tunisian oases. "We have the famous 'Deglet ennour', renowned for being the best quality of dates in Tunisia. It costs between 7 and 8 dinars per kilo; the difference is due to packaging. We also offer 'Ajoua', a variety of dates originating from Saudi Arabia but introduced to Chott el Jerid. We sell it for 18 dinars per kilo, a rudimentary price compared to what is applied in Gulf countries, which can reach 120 dinars," says Anis.
The "Aligue" Variety: A Guardian of the Oases
Unlike other varieties, the "Aligue" variety stands out for its reddish color and pronounced taste, both sweet and slightly spicy. "It's an essential variety in the oases. Each hectare must have at least eight Aligue palm trees. This variety has the ability to protect itself against the red palm weevil. It plays a preventive and protective role for neighboring palm trees," notes Ibrahim Ben Rejab, from Kébili.
Date Derivatives
In addition to selling dates in bulk or packaged, producers offer derived products that are increasingly appealing to those who appreciate good nutrients, organic products, and local specialties. "We have date sugar, bsissa sweetened with date sugar, coffee mixed with date pits reduced to powder, date paste, and the famous 'rob el tmar' or date extract," enumerates Samah. All these products are subject to promotional pricing.
Access to Water: A Major Concern
Despite the enthusiasm for sales, exhibitors do not hide their dissatisfaction with being at the mercy of a poor connection to irrigation water, a series of fundamental measures that are slow to come, and speculation that works to their detriment and that of the consumer. "Our region is rich in groundwater. However, most of these resources flow into the Sahara... The lack of irrigation water poses a serious problem in our activity. The more date palms are irrigated, the better the quality of the fruit," says Anis.
The Need for a National Date Office
In addition to the inaccessibility of irrigation water, date producers face other difficulties, including unhealthy practices by speculators that harm them. The lack of a national institution to guarantee the commercialization of production in transparency allows speculators to take advantage of this institutional vacuum to buy at the lowest cost and sell at the highest price. "Speculators reserve our production by the ton without specifying the price. Then, they take their time waiting for the merchandise to dry out. There, they buy it as second or third choice, knowing full well that it is first choice, putting the producer in the obligation to sell at prices that do not cover their expenses and do not allow them to record a reassuring profit margin," says Majdi Amara, a date producer from Souk Lahad in Kébili.
Solutions to the Problems
The creation of a national date office would allow for regulation and good management of production, while helping farmers and examining the files of the sector one by one. Ensuring transparency at all stages of the circuit and developing action plans to durably resolve the problems of the production and marketing chain is what the masters of the oases aspire to.
