The US Embassy to Tunisia has announced the allocation of 76.5 million Tunisian dinars ($24.85 million) to support the date sector as part of the US Department of Agriculture’s ‘Food for Progress’ programme.
This funding aims to significantly improve date production and strengthen farming systems in Tunisian oases, with the aim of modernising practices over a five-year period.
The American non-profit organisation Partners of the Americas, with six decades of experience in agriculture and food security, will be responsible for implementing the project. It will also benefit from the collaboration of the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, local farmers and civil society. Initiatives include training, subsidies to optimise water management and irrigation techniques, as well as measures to improve labour efficiency and develop export opportunities, including to the United States.
In a statement, Ambassador Joey Hood underlined the importance of this partnership, pointing out that Tunisian agricultural products, such as olive oil and dates, are highly valued on the American market. ‘Thanks to this increased support, we hope to see an increase in Tunisian date exports, to the benefit of local producers and the delight of consumers around the world’, he added.
This US support is part of a wider strategy to strengthen the resilience of Tunisia’s agricultural sector and promote trade between the two countries.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
