Central Bank of Tunisia adjusts agricultural credit terms and repayment deadlines

The Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) has released a new circular, effective immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette, revising the financing scales for cereals and seasonal crops, as well as agricultural loan repayment periods. This circular updates the provisions of a 1987 directive concerning credit allocation, control, and financing.

The updated regulations establish differentiated bank intervention ceilings based on land type, whether rain-fed or irrigated, and geographical zones. For durum wheat, soft wheat, and legumes, the financing scale is set at 1,415 dinars per hectare for the first rain-fed zone, 1,175 dinars per hectare for the second rain-fed zone, and 1,930 dinars per hectare for irrigated crops. The repayment deadline for these is set for August 31.

For barley, financing is capped at 940 dinars per hectare in the first rain-fed zone, 890 dinars per hectare in the second rain-fed zone, and 350 dinars per hectare in the third rain-fed zone, with the final repayment date also set for August 31. The revisions also apply to fodder crops, with a scale of 1,030 dinars per hectare for winter fodder on rain-fed land, repayable by August 31, and 1,260 dinars per hectare for summer fodder on irrigated land, due by September 30.

The BCT clarified that these amounts represent the maximum intervention thresholds for banks. The final loan amount will be determined based on the actual sown area, projected expenses, expected profitability, and quantities marketed in previous seasons. This circular is part of a broader review of agricultural financing conditions, aligning with current banking and financial sector legislation and general credit granting rules.