Coffee Industry in Crisis: Smuggling and Price Disparities Threaten Tunisian Businesses
The Vice-President of the professional group of coffee roasters within the "Conect" organization, Badreddine Bahroun, has warned of a "suffocating" crisis facing the sector. This crisis is the result of the increasing inability of merchants to sell their products due to the massive spread of smuggled coffee from Algeria and Libya, according to his statements.
Interviewed on the radio station Diwan FM, Bahroun explained that merchants supply themselves with coffee through the Tunisian Trade Office (OTC) at a price of 34.5 dinars per kilogram, while smuggled coffee is sold for between 20 and 22 dinars per kilogram. This price disparity has led café owners to turn to illegal goods.
He emphasized that coffee smuggling operations have seen a significant increase, particularly in September, where the local market was flooded with massive quantities. This coffee is now being openly sold through social media platforms.
Bahroun criticized the limited scope of control campaigns conducted by the Ministry of Commerce and security units, deeming them insufficient in the absence of a truly deterrent legal framework. He also stated that the professional group has written to the Ministry of Commerce regarding the large quantities of smuggled coffee that have invaded the market, but has yet to receive a response.
Furthermore, he revealed that several coffee roasting companies in the northwestern governorates have closed their doors, warning that around 286 companies operating in the sector, which provide a source of income for thousands of families, are now threatened with disappearance.
Key Points:
- The coffee industry in Tunisia is facing a crisis due to the spread of smuggled coffee from Algeria and Libya.
- Merchants are struggling to sell their products due to the price disparity between legitimate and smuggled coffee.
- Coffee smuggling operations have increased significantly, with massive quantities flooding the local market.
- The professional group of coffee roasters has criticized the limited scope of control campaigns and the lack of a deterrent legal framework.
- Several coffee roasting companies have closed, and around 286 companies are threatened with disappearance, putting thousands of families' livelihoods at risk.
