Joint Working Session on Olive Oil Campaign
A joint working session dedicated to monitoring the olive oil campaign was held on Friday, December 12, 2025, under the presidency of Ezzedine Bencheikh, Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries, and Samir Abid, Minister of Trade and Export Development.
Meeting Overview
The meeting focused on the progress of olive oil purchasing, storage, and export operations for the current campaign. It was attended by the head of the cabinet, the CEO of the National Olive Oil Office, representatives from the Central Bank of Tunisia, the National Agricultural Bank, the Housing Bank, the Tunisian Bank, relevant ministries, as well as officials from the two departments, exporters, olive mill owners, and farmers.
Key Indicators
The indicators presented during the session showed:
- A harvest progress rate estimated at 25%
- Monitoring of demand evolution on domestic and foreign markets
- The level of available stocks in olive mills
- Price trends on national and international markets
Stakeholder Feedback
Exporters praised the National Olive Oil Office's intervention in purchasing olive oil from mills and farmers, highlighting the need for state regulation through the Office in the context of a record production. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting these efforts. On the other hand, representatives of olive mill owners emphasized the continuous increase in stocks, calling for urgent solutions to ensure the continuation of transformation operations, particularly as the production peak is expected in the coming weeks.
Banking Sector Support
Representatives of the banking sector expressed their willingness to continue supporting farmers, transformers, and exporters through the provision of financial facilities dedicated to the olive and olive oil sector, ensuring the smooth running of the campaign.
Ministerial Statements
The two ministers stressed the primacy of national interest, the need to guarantee farmers' rights, particularly small producers, and to lift the difficulties faced by olive mills, with the aim of ensuring the season runs in the best conditions.
Decisions
At the end of the session, it was decided to:
- Launch the implementation of the olive oil storage program, approved during the restricted Ministerial Council meeting held on October 25, 2025, dedicated to preparing the 2025-2026 campaign
- Engage the National Olive Oil Office in executing a program to promote packaged olive oil on the domestic market
- Strengthen coordination with the banking sector to examine financing mechanisms for olive oil quantities stored in mills
- Preserve the reputation and value of Tunisian olive oil on export markets
