Industrial tomato sector in Tunisia faces crisis over stagnant prices

Tunisia's industrial tomato sector faces an uncertain future as producers in the Cap-Bon region grapple with declining profitability. The harvest and processing campaign has begun amid widespread concern, with farmers warning that the strategic sector is becoming increasingly unprofitable.

Producers highlight that the reference price paid to farmers, set around 270 millimes per kilogram, has not been adjusted for several seasons. This price no longer reflects the economic reality of agricultural operations, as costs for inputs, irrigation, phytosanitary treatments, energy, and labor have significantly increased. Consequently, the cost of producing one kilogram of industrial tomatoes now reportedly exceeds the price paid by processing units.

This economic imbalance threatens the viability of many farms and raises fears that farmers may lose interest in cultivating industrial tomatoes. Adel Antite, president of the National Committee of Tomato Producers and a member of the Regional Union of Agriculture and Fisheries of Nabeul, stressed that the sector cannot continue with a reference price that ignores evolving costs. He called for an urgent dialogue between producers, industrialists, and professional representatives to find sustainable solutions.

Producers are specifically requesting a revision of the mechanism for setting the reception price to ensure better remuneration and preserve production continuity. They advocate for an approach that accounts for the real increase in agricultural charges and the constraints faced by farmers. The Cap-Bon region is a major hub for tomatoes destined for processing in Tunisia, and professionals warn that continued cost increases without price adjustments could jeopardize the sector's future and its significant contribution to national agricultural and industrial activity.

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the sector can no longer function with a reference price that does not keep pace with the evolution of costs.