Author: Web Desk

Our field visits to several Tunisian regions have rekindled hopes for a good agricultural season in our country," Abdelmounêm BelSati, Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, said on Tuesday. "We are very satisfied with what has been achieved in the field of agriculture, as we have sown large areas that show positive signs of achieving the goal of self-sufficiency in durum wheat," the minister told reporters on the sidelines of his working visit to the Nabeul governorate. He added that the olive-growing season was progressing well, pointing out that the olive harvest would be between 210 and 220 thousand tonnes, which would be a positive indicator for the mobilisation of foreign currency. This is not to mention, 'the impact on Tunisian consumers of the presidential decision to supply quantities of virgin olive oil for local consumption at preferential prices,' he added. On another level, the Minister of Agriculture refuted reports that there is a serious shortage of feed. 'The informatio n being circulated that there is a major shortage of feed is not true, especially as investigations carried out by the ministry in many governorates confirm that the quantities of feed supplied by the state exceed the needs by 50 to 60%," the minister said. He added that "investigations have shown that a number of farmers are deliberately making false declarations in order to obtain larger quantities of feed.' "We will crack down on speculators and recover all the quotas they have wrongly obtained," he stressed. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The 2nd edition of the International and African Food Industries Expo, 'AGROBUSINESS MEDAFRICA EXPO 2024', is scheduled to take place from November 14 to 16, 2024, in Yasmine Hammamet. According to the organisers, the aim of the expo is to create mechanisms for meetings, exchanges and support for international partnerships in the areas of investment and exports. This initiative aims to address the impact of climate change on food sovereignty and deepen cooperation in the food industry, ultimately ensuring food security for citizens. Products from Tunisian, Arab, African, and European companies will be showcased during this event. A series of bilateral and tripartite meetings will be organised between Tunisian and foreign attendees, complemented by three forums addressing the themes of "Sovereignty and Food Security in Africa: Reality and Perspectives," "Financing Mechanisms for International Partnerships as Drivers of Agro-Food Industry Sector Development," and "Promising Export Markets." The first editi on of the exhibition attracted 250 professionals from 17 countries, including Libya, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt, as well as countries from Africa, Europe and America. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Economy Ministry has requested a $70 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Finance Minister Sihem Boughdiri said on Tuesday. She was speaking at a plenary session of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) in Bardo, dedicated to the adoption of the law approving the exchange of letters of intent to amend the agreement between Tunisia and Italy on granting of a credit line for small and medium-sized enterprises. The minister said that this financing would be used to renew the production equipment of the Tunisian steel and iron company ELFOULADH. She added that the request for credit was made on January 10, 2024 after studying the effectiveness of the financing requested by the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy. The finance minister said the government has worked to promote the Tunisian steel company ELFOULADH by including it among the projects to be studied by the joint Tunisian-Saudi commission, in the context of bilateral cooperation between the c ompany and Saudi Arabia's counterpart and the exchange of products between the two companies. The ARP, on Tuesday, adopted the bill approving the exchange of memoranda amending the memorandum of understanding between Tunisia and Italy for the granting of a credit line in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises, with 111 votes in favour, 11 against and 3 abstentions,. Law 60 for the year 2023 aims to increase to pound 73 million the amount of the Italian financing line launched on November 25, 2011 in favour of SMEs, by providing them with additional financing of almost pound 55 million. This line of credit should further stimulate private investment and improve the economic competitiveness of SMEs, while also supporting the government's efforts to provide liquidity to businesses. Tunisia will repay the loan over 40 years, including a grace period of 30 years at 0% interest. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse