Tunisian cereal harvest will be disastrous, warns farmers' union

A photo taken on October 20, 2021 shows parched land in Tunisia's east-central region of Kairouan due to drought. AFP - ANIS MILI

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Hit by drought, the country, already a net importer of cereals, will have to find additional financing to pay for wheat imports. A situation that can be found throughout the Maghreb.

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Tunisian authorities on Friday announced restrictions on the supply and use of drinking water for individuals and agriculture. These measures are due to come into force on Monday. The cereal harvest is expected to reach 200,250 to 000,750 tonnes compared to 000,<> last year. This is due to the serious drought problems recorded over the past year. The lack of water combined with numerous field fires have reduced harvests.

This is more bad news for the Tunisian economy and state finances. The country, which already imports the majority of the cereals it consumes, will have to redouble its efforts to make up a deficit of nearly 500,000 tonnes, due to sluggish harvests. At the current price of wheat on international markets, this represents an additional cost of EUR 130 million.

The situation in Tunisia is all the more dramatic as it is likely to continue. Water reservoirs and dams are almost dry. The largest in the country, that of Sidi Salem, is only 17% of its capacity, which means that irrigation will be difficult again this year.

The Tunisian situation is identical throughout the Maghreb, notes agricultural market expert François Luguenot, who notes that countries are caught "in scissors between declining agricultural production and increasing needs". If Algeria can count on its immense gas resources to make ends meet, this is not the case for Tunisia or Egypt, two countries facing an increasingly acute financial crisis.

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• Tunisia
• Water
• Climate