Saifaddin Galal
Research Expert North Africa
Agriculture in Tunisia - statistics & facts
Agricultural, farming, and fishery activities are widespread in Tunisia. Despite the country's increasing service orientation, the primary sector still fairly contributes to the local economy by creating employment opportunities, sustaining part of the domestic demand for food and agricultural products, as well as adding value to foreign trade. In recent years, Tunisia has also increased its organic farming land and crops, resulting in the country having the largest organic agricultural area in Africa.
Agriculture’s contribution to economy and employment
Agriculture represents a modest economic contributor in Tunisia. In 2020, the agricultural sector accounted for nearly 12 percent of the country’s GDP, after growing slightly in the previous years. In addition, the agricultural sector employs around 14 percent of the total working population in Tunisia. In recent years, the share has been gradually declining. By law, agricultural workers are guaranteed a minimum wage of 16.51 Tunisian dinars (approximately 5.95 U.S. dollars) per day. However, over 80 percent of the workers in the agricultural and fishing sector are employed informally.Agriculture, livestock, and fishery production
Cereals are Tunisia’s main agricultural products. In 2021, the cereal output was forecast to amount to 1.9 million metric tons. Tomatoes and olives followed, accounting for around 1.4 million and 700 thousand metric tons of agricultural production, respectively. Potatoes, citrus fruit, and dates are also produced abundantly in the country. Within cereal production specifically, durum wheat and barley represent the main outputs, reaching around one million and 500 thousand metric tons per year, respectively. Considering livestock and animal farming, the production of meat in Tunisia is mainly constituted by chicken, turkey, sheep, and cattle. In addition, as fishing is also a popular activity in the country, the value of fisheries and aquaculture production has increased significantly in Tunisia in recent years.Foreign trade mainly relies on imports
Olive oil is the main agri-food product exported from Tunisia, accounting for nearly half of the total food exports. Dates and fish are other food products that contribute significantly to Tunisia’s export trade. In 2021, the country’s agricultural and food export value amounted to around five million Tunisian dinars (1.8 billion U.S. dollars). However, Tunisia is a net importer of agricultural and food products. Since the local production is low compared to the rising domestic demand for food, the country imports more than it exports.
