Agriculture

Agriculture performed strongly in 2015, driven by outstanding production and olive oil exports, which generated nearly 920m in revenue. The sector, which accounts for around 10% of GDP, has not been spared the instability affecting the country since the 2011 revolution, prompting efforts to initiate structural reforms, including enhanced organisation to boost productivity and stabilize output. Profitability is also a concern, as farmer debt is soaring amid rising input costs. Given the role that the sector has come to occupy in securing foreign revenues and bolstering the country’s trade balance, Tunisia is set to further tap into existing assets, such as its geographical location and favorable climate, to boost exports to Europe. There is also significant potential to enhance exports to neighbouring Libya and Algeria, where non-tariff barriers are less of an impediment to trade than they are in Europe’s case. This chapter contains an interview with Abdelaziz Makhloufi, CEO, CHO Company.