Tunisia's Agricultural Sector Faces Systemic Crisis Threatening Food Security
In an alarming address to the radio, Mohamed Taher Ennabi, President of the Professional Group of Agriculture within the CONECT organization, painted a dire picture of the situation following a recent hearing before the Parliament's Agriculture Commission.
According to Ennabi, temporary measures are no longer sufficient: only an unprecedented legislative arsenal and a deep structural overhaul can save the country's four strategic sectors: cereals, red meat, dairy products, and olive oil.
The situation in the cereal sector is critical as the harvest season approaches. Ennabi criticized the blatant delay in publishing decrees related to the importation of used combine harvesters, which were included in the 2025 and 2026 finance laws.
"The national combine harvester park is obsolete, with an average age exceeding 30 years. This obsolescence causes a dry loss of 20% of the national wheat harvest every year," he emphasized.
The official also called for a rigorous inspection of grain collection centers before the start of the season to prevent bottlenecks. Furthermore, he described the maintenance of the quality evaluation grid for cereals as "unjust" given the state's failure to provide the necessary fertilizers in a timely and sufficient manner.
Livestock and Dairy: Decimated Herds
The red meat sector is facing a historic crisis characterized by a collapse of the national herd. The causes include the surge in cattle theft due to the lack of deterrent laws, as well as the arbitrary closure of municipal slaughterhouses. In the absence of regulated alternatives, clandestine slaughter has become widespread, affecting female cattle and blocking the renewal of herds, leading to a price surge on uncontrolled cattle markets.
The dairy sector is equally dire, suffocated by the smuggling of cows to neighboring countries. Ennabi demands the immediate application of the law on the reconstitution of the bovine herd, promised in the 2025 and 2026 finance laws but left unimplemented. To reduce production costs in the face of drought, he recommends the urgent use of treated wastewater for the cultivation of coarse forages.
Olive Oil: Consuming Tunisian Instead of Imported
Regarding olive oil, Ennabi calls for a radical shift in economic paradigm. While Tunisian production continues to grow year after year, he believes that instead of massively subsidizing imported vegetable oils, the state should redirect these subsidies towards local olive oil to stimulate national consumption, while investing in the modernization of storage and conservation capacities in the sector.
The future of Tunisia's food sovereignty depends, according to Ennabi, on the state's ability to protect farmers, reorganize distribution circuits, and modernize infrastructure.
Read also: Council of Ministers: Focus on Harvest and Storage
