2010.01.24The agricultural sector surplus in 2009

The balance of the agricultural sector in 2009 has proved even more balanced than reassuring. Agriculture and fisheries have reached a growth rate of 6% and contributed 23% PIB.C is announced that Mr. Abdessalam Mansour, Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and fishing during the press conference held last Saturday in Tunis.

The Minister said in this regard, the agricultural sector has experienced a trade surplus worth 48 million dinars, with a coverage rate of imports by exports of around 103%.

Rising exports of some agricultural products such as dates (14%) with record export revenues worth 238 million dinars in addition to vegetables, fish and canned harissa, has allowed is there to cover a slight decline in the export rate on the olive sector.

Regarding imports, Mr. Mansour said that food imports are down 39%. This fall, the minister explained by the decline in imports of grain, given the good cereal harvest nationally.

This gives read, including the role of major crops in the attainment of good content sector, while realizing that cereal production in 2009 reached approximately 25.3 million quintals.

Regarding investment in the sector reached in 2009, the Minister noted that they have reached nearly 977 million dinars, of which 417 million dinars public and 560 million dinars private.
Focusing on the development prospects for 2010, he noted that efforts will focus on the continued implementation of the strategy of promoting agriculture and the achievement of objectives set by the Presidential program "Let us rise to the challenges" in particular through the accelerated implementation of sector strategies, promotion activities with high performance and improved productivity in the sector.

The year 2010 will, in turn, marked by the conclusion of several production contracts between producers, processors and exporters to increase export potential of major agricultural products (fruits and vegetables).
Therefore, all means thereon will be a gradual improvement to the diversification of water resources, afforestation forestry development and conservation of water and soil.
Recall at this stage the strategy undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture to better explore the water potential of the country by making use of wastewater for irrigation in farmland after purification.

In view of realizing the presidential program on the agricultural sector, Mr Mansour said the launch by the Ministry of 7 committees, each dedicated to designing the best approach to achieve under the best circumstances, the presidential measures decided in this area. While taking care to plan the various actions needed (deadline, financial resources, coordination among stakeholders).

Moreover, efforts are directed towards increasing the acreage devoted to organic farming, knowing that the role of the Office of Crown Lands (OTD) is increasingly important in achieving these objectives, knowing that 'a work session held recently in Tunis has been devoted to monitoring the progress of agricultural partnership projects undertaken by the DDO in cooperation with foreign investors.
On this occasion, two partnership programs have been established whose first concerns the direct partnership with foreign parties to establish enterprises of agricultural production and export. And the second is the indirect partnership to create several commercial enterprises specialized in the export and operating under production contract with the OTD.

Among the projects under the Farm Partnership, we should mention a production project salad made in the agricultural complex Enfidha an area of 150 hectares, to help since it began in the export of 10,800 tonnes to markets of the European Union.

Also, all indices relating to current agricultural and the future of Tunisian agriculture proved reassuring and no less promising.

Source: INFOTUNISIE

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