(TAP) – Private investment in agriculture and fisheries, approved by the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency (APIA), reached 414.6 million Tunisian dinars (MTD) to the end of September 2016 against 331.5 MTD during the same period of 2015, posting an increase of 25.1%, the Agency reported on its site.
These investments are divided between agricultural activities (293.5 MTD), fishing (22.1 MTD), aquaculture (18.7 MTD), services (70.3 MTD) and integrated first processing (10 MTD).
They will create 3,774 permanent jobs, of which 120 for university graduates, against 3,291 permanent jobs with 190 for university graduates in the same period in 2015.
The governorates of Kairouan (55.8 MTD), Kasserine (36.5 MTD), Sidi Bouzid (34.2 MTD), Monastir (30.9 MTD), Mahdia (27.1 MTD) and Nabeul (25.6 MTD) came first with 51% of the overall investments.
Investment saw a clear increase in the governorates of Kairouan where it tripled and Ariana (+ 140%), Gabes (+ 97%) and Mahdia (+72%).
By sector, investment reached 132.7 MTD in arboriculture in the first nine months of 2016 against 84.2 MD until the end of September 2015, up 57.6%, with the goal being to plant 3,000 hectares of olive trees and 420 ha of grenadiers.
In addition, 18 investment operations with a value of 13 MD and a total capacity of 38 thousand tonnes were approved in the grain collection and storage sector.
Investments in the poultry business amounted to 67 MTD against 41.3 MTD in the first nine months of 2015.
In turn, investment by agricultural valorization and development companies (SMVDA) increased by 27.3 %, from 11.1 MTD to 14.21 MTD.
APIA said the financing of agricultural investment by banks declined to 8.6% in the first eight months of 2016 from 14.5% during the same period of 2015.
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