Tunisian Olive Oil Sector Faces Challenges
The president of the "Tunisie Oléiculture" association and agricultural policy expert, Faouzi Zayani, stated on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, that the storage aid announced by the Ministry of Agriculture is derisory. Set at 100 DT per ton for oil mills and 110 DT per ton for farmers, he believes that this amount is unreasonable and does not even cover transportation costs.
During his phone intervention on the radio, he specified that while the idea of storage is excellent for regulating the market, the amount of premiums must be revised upwards to reach at least 500 DT per ton. He also recommends that these aids be paid in advance for a period of 6 months, instead of the current 3 months.
In this context, Mr. Zayani urged the National Oil Office to resume its fundamental mission, which is:
- Granting financial advances
- Managing storage and distributing premiums
- Protecting and treating orchards by plane, as was previously done
Regarding export prices, the expert noted that they are currently very low, lower than those of last year. He revealed that foreign importers are delaying their purchases to force Tunisian exporters to lower their tariffs.
Faced with this strategy, he emphasized the need to:
- Control production
- Stock the largest possible quantities
- Actively support farmers and oil mill owners
Finally, he recalled that global demand reacts directly to the situation of the sector in Tunisia, all the more so since Tunisian olive oil represents between 15 and 18% of the world market share.
