Citrus Season in Nabeul Faces Significant Threats
The president of the Regional Union of Agriculture and Fishing (URAP) in Nabeul, Imad El Bey, stated on Friday in a press release to a journalist from the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) agency that the citrus season is facing real threats that could lead to the loss of the harvest. He called on central authorities, particularly the Ministries of Trade and Agriculture, as well as regional authorities, to take exceptional measures to facilitate the transportation and marketing of crops outside the governorate of Nabeul, in order to save the season and the farmers.
Difficulties in Marketing and State of Panic
Mr. El Bey added that the start of the citrus season is encountering numerous difficulties, which have caused "a state of panic and fear among farmers." This situation is due to the scarcity of fruit purchases and the strict application of legal procedures during transportation and marketing outside the governorate of Nabeul, according to his statements. He reiterated his call to "maintain the exceptional measures taken last year, which allowed the season to be saved." He emphasized that farmers are committed to respecting the law but are asking for their social and economic situations to be taken into consideration.
Request for Exceptional Measures
He estimates that the strict application of procedures could be postponed until the completion of the wholesale market project in Beni Khalled and the production market in Menzel Bouzelfa, which will be the "ideal mechanism" for organizing purchase and sale operations within a clear legal framework. He explained that the request for exceptional measures for the transportation and marketing of the harvest by light truck traders, known as "Douarjiya," is due to the fact that "no wholesale market in the Republic can absorb the 1,200 to 2,000 tons of oranges collected daily in production areas."
Rumors and Harvest Forecasts
On the other hand, he indicated that statements and news disseminated on social networks regarding the need to present a "patent" (commercial license) and the fact that it could be obtained for only 400 dinars have caused confusion, plunging farmers into a state of "frustration and anxiety" and complicating the start of the season. He noted that although regional authorities held three successive meetings to smooth out difficulties, the economic control services, despite their understanding of the situation, "took no concrete action," according to his assessment.
Denial of False Information
Mr. El Bey formally denied the information circulating since last September that the citrus harvest in Nabeul (which contributes 70-80% of national production) would not exceed 200,000 tons at the governorate level and 300,000 tons at the national level. He described this news as "false, exaggerated, and discouraging." The URAP forecasts in Nabeul indicate that the harvest will be at the same level as last season, around 270,000 tons, thanks to increased irrigation water from northern waters and improved precipitation last year.
Delay in Fighting Pests
Finally, Mr. El Bey emphasized that the problems of the season are not limited to marketing but that the sector has faced enormous difficulties due to:
- Delays in treating the fruit fly pest (Ceratitis capitata).
- The decision not to use aerial treatment and to limit it to biological treatment.
- Lack of equipment to install a sufficient number of traps due to "administrative blockages."
- Only one treatment operation was carried out instead of three, causing significant damage to production. He concluded by stating that the extent and exact percentage of these damages "can only be quantified after the end of the season."
