2023-07-18 08:31:46
In a context of great volatility in world food markets, fueled by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Tunisia is bound to suffer from fluctuations in the market for cereals, but also oils, given that national production does not cover only 30% of needs. And it is the country’s finances that will be impacted as well as the shopping basket, because of this exacerbated demand in the face of a scarcer supply due to the open conflict in Eastern Europe.
Is Tunisian agriculture today able to produce essential foods for national consumption? Is it possible to reconcile security and food sovereignty?
Faced with an increased dependence on imports and the worrying development of the trade balance deficit, many questions arise regarding the efficiency and viability of the national agri-food production system, especially since the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine only worsens an already critical situation: explosion of raw material prices and threat of shortage of basic foodstuffs.
According to the report recently published by UTAP with the collaboration of the Carthage Grains company, it cannot be denied that “Tunisian agriculture is at a turning point and it is high time to breathe new life into it. The challenge is crucial: to build our food sovereignty by recreating links and trust in the agricultural sector, from the farmer-producer to the consumer-citizen”.
Global warming, declining soil fertility, appearance of new diseases, soaring input prices, Covid-19 health crisis…, so many scourges that have weakened the agricultural system. It faces major challenges which have intensified in recent years, generating a drop in productivity and adverse effects on the Tunisian economy.
Heavy bills
Tunisia has more and more recourse to imports in order to meet its growing needs for products essential to human and animal nutrition. However, the use of imports generates heavy bills that affect the national budget, increase dependence on world markets and weaken the country’s food sovereignty.
The main products imported by Tunisia are cereals (durum wheat, common wheat, barley, maize) and oilseeds (vegetable oils and proteins) which represent respectively 52% and 15% of the total value of our agri-food imports.
It should be noted that the use of imports is increasingly unsustainable. Indeed, and according to the indicators mentioned in the report, the import prices of agri-food products are constantly increasing (+40% compared to 2021). Similarly, the main products imported and then subsidized (cereals, oils, cakes) are the subject of speculation and smuggling. In 2022, 1.8 billion dinars of subsidies were allocated for cereals and 290 MTD for vegetable oils (+71.4% compared to 2021). Moreover, the decline of the dinar considerably increased the value of imports.
Building a sustainable alternative to imports is a major challenge today. It is a question, in fact, of developing a local production of oilseeds, which has become a necessity of the first order. Oilseeds (mainly rapeseed, sunflower and soya) are plants rich in oils and proteins.
This sector continues to expand following the growing demand for edible oil, in particular the development of intensive livestock farming, which consumes a lot of protein, and the recent use of vegetable oils as biofuels.
According to the same source, “the current situation offers a real development opportunity for Tunisia, which, by adopting an appropriate policy, might not only ensure its autonomy but also become an exporter of these products”.
Rapeseed opportunity
Rapeseed has the advantage of being a rotation diversification factor. As a previous crop, it releases the soil early to allow the preparation of the next crop (often cereal), leaves behind a structured and clean soil, cleaned of weeds and finally restores to the soil large quantities of mineral elements and of organic matter.
The overall reduction in sanitary and fertilization problems not only leads to a reduction in costs in the cultivation of cereals, but also to quality production, respectful of the environment. The yield of wheat following rapeseed exceeds on average that of wheat on wheat by 20 to 30%.
The development of oilseed crops is a priority issue for the country. By cultivating more oilseeds, Tunisia would not only gain in food autonomy, but will not lose in terms of ecology since these crops are considered to present solutions for the future in the face of the challenges of preserving ecological balances.
The war in Ukraine has caused vegetable oil prices to soar. Faced with the imperative of food sovereignty, many countries have therefore embarked on a race to increase their production in a troubled and highly disturbed international context. There is no miracle solution to achieve this: produce more and better and do everything possible to make the strategic sectors competitive.
The government intends to boost the oilseed sector, in particular the cultivation of rapeseed. The development of this culture has a dual objective: to reduce the import bill for strategic foods and to achieve self-sufficiency in oils.
The production of sunflower oil ranks first in the world with more than 16 million tons per year. Ukraine comes first with a production of 4.5 million tons per year, followed by Russia with a production of 4 million tons per year, Argentina comes third.
The needs of our country in vegetable oils amount to more than 250,000 tons of which only 15% are covered by national production, particularly in olive oil. Nowadays, 85% of the vegetable oils consumed in Tunisia are seed oils (soybean, palm and sunflower oil), which are almost entirely imported (95%).
On the other hand, “While Tunisia has succeeded in ensuring its self-sufficiency in red and white meat, the livestock sector remains heavily dependent on imports of plant proteins necessary for animal feed (barley and soybean cakes) and whose needs amount to 450,000 tons. Subsidized, imported vegetable oils and proteins are certainly more affordable for Tunisian consumers and breeders, but their imports seriously aggravate the budget deficit and constitute a brake on the possibility of producing these crops locally”, indicates the report.
In 2021, Tunisia imported vegetable oils for a total value of around 628 million dinars. Moreover, the price of these products has increased considerably in recent years (+25% for soybean seeds and cakes, +50% for soybean oil).
The current situation in Tunisia poses a fundamental question for autonomy in cereals and vegetable oils and proteins, which absolutely requires the implementation of a global strategy centered around food sovereignty, taking into account both the evolution of the national and international context.
Food sovereignty requires that each country mobilizes its natural, human, economic and technological resources to increase and improve its local food production and reduce its external dependence.
To this end, “encouraging a territorial sector is a relevant tool. The aim is to create a virtuous circle for the country’s economy where the emergence of local production of vegetable oils and proteins not only improves the productivity of cereal rotations but also limits the use of imports”.
Partnerships
In December 2022, an agreement was signed with the National Institute of Field Crops (Ingc) in order to actively contribute to the development of the sector by training and raising awareness among farmers in the control of this crop. The objective is to strengthen awareness, extension and technical support programs for producers to promote and develop the cultivation of rapeseed, among the best rotation and profitability heads with cereals and which constitutes a good opportunity with its benefits. recognized, to achieve food sovereignty, particularly in vegetable oils and livestock feed.
A partnership was also concluded with UTAP in order to set up a field supervision program to develop rapeseed cultivation and improve productivity in various governorates conducive to this crop. This partnership aims to contribute with all stakeholders to the development of the rapeseed sector in the country, hoping to reach a total area of 150,000 hectares by the 2029/2030 agricultural campaign.
In addition, a research and development partnership program has just been launched between the National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (Inrat), the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (Inat) and the company Carthage Grains, specializing in the crushing of oilseeds, with a view to supporting and strengthening the Rapeseed sector through the creation of varieties with a better Quality-Adaptability ratio that meets the requirements of the Rapeseed sector to ensure its sustainability.
Rapeseed remains a promising crop for many regions in Tunisia. It is generally grown as a crop rotation comprising wheat and barley given its importance in improving cultivated soils. The area of rapeseed grown increased from 460 ha in 2014-2015 to 20,000 ha during the 2022-2023 season.
The development of the oilseed sector is a lever of sustainability for our agricultural production system and a strategic challenge for Tunisia. Rapeseed, produced and processed in Tunisia, might represent an alternative to imports and allow the autonomy and diversification of products necessary for human and animal nutrition.
Najoua Hizaoui
1689706083
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