The olive harvest campaign is progressing at a brisk pace. According to the Minister of Commerce, Samir Abid, the growth rate of picking for the current season has reached around 30%. A statement made Tuesday morning in Sfax, during the opening of the regional conference devoted to the export prospects of olive oil for the governorates of the fourth district.
The minister stressed that this season’s production is described as “record”, allowing Tunisia to return to the competition for first place in the world in terms of olive oil exports. This performance marks, according to him, a gradual return of the country to the forefront of the international scene, after several seasons marked by fluctuations in performance.
Despite this positive dynamic, structural constraints continue to slow down exports in certain regions. The president of the South-West Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Youssef Salem, indicated that the governorates of Gafsa and Sidi Bouzid face several difficulties, despite the recognized quality of the product. Among the main obstacles is the question of storage, which is still largely based on traditional methods poorly adapted to the requirements of international markets.
Around 50 million trees by 2040
Youssef Salem also highlighted the remarkable growth of olive cultivation in these two regions. The latest statistics available for the year 2025 show 13 million olive trees in Gafsa and 23 million in Sidi Bouzid. Projections call for a total of around 50 million trees by 2040 for both governorates.
These figures reflect the considerable potential of the olive sector in the center and south of the country, while raising the question of the logistical, industrial and commercial support necessary to transform this agricultural growth into a real lever for economic development and sustainable export.
