TOZEUR: Preparations for the 2024-2025 date harvest season were the focus of a working session held Tuesday, in Tozeur under the chairmanship of local governor, Mohamed Aymen Bejaoui, and in the presence of the various players in the production cycle. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the difficulties faced by small farmers, particularly those linked to the reluctance of exporters to buy dates and the low reference selling price, as well as the increase in production costs in terms of expenditure on processing and irrigation water. It was agreed at the meeting to establish a mechanism for the application of a reference price for the sale of date palms on the stalk, which would be proportional to production costs and favour small farmers, and continue the cleaning of oases, which had covered almost 4,500 hectares by the end of January. To date, about 85% of the date palms have been pollinated, according to a presentation made at the meeting, which also called for rapid action to drill the plann ed irrigation wells and set up the date market within the allotted time. The preparations also include the preventive aspect, namely the fight against red weevils and parasites through the provision of some two million mosquito nets to cover the fruit. The meeting was attended by the Regional Authority for Agricultural Development (CRDA), the Interprofessional Date Group (GIDattes) and the Technical Centre for Dates (CTD). Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse
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