Tunisian olive oil exports for the current season, totalling about 340,000 tonnes of product, will generate record revenue of more than two billion dinars (about 619,671,034 euros), compared to 1.2 billion dinars last year, said President of the Tunisian Oil Office (ONH), Chokri Bayoudh, saying that the revenue should contribute 4.25% to the country’s state budget.
Tunisian olive oil exports, by late July 2020, reached nearly 294,000 tonnes worth 1.7 billion dinars, compared to 100,000 tonnes at a value of 1.2 billion dinars the previous season, Bayoudh told Tunisian news agency TAP.
“Packaged olive oil exports rose to 20,000 tonnes. We hope that they reach 25,000 tonnes by the end of this season,” he said.
“At the end of this season, November 2020, we foresee exporting about 340,000 tonnes, which will generate overall revenue of more than two billion dinars,” he said.
He said that despite the coronavirus emergency, Tunisian olive oil marketing was never interrupted.
“During the block that was decreed in March and April, we were able to export an average of 45,000 tonnes per month,” Bayoudh said.
Eighty percent of olive oil exports went to the EU (26 countries), 15% to the US and Canada, and 5% to the rest of the world.
For many years, Tunisia worked to diversify its export markets and entered into new markets, including Asian ones, in particular China and India, said Bayoudh.
Tunisia also increased its presence in US and Canadian markets, which are registering annual growth between 5% and 8%, said Bayoudh.
Tunisian olive oil is now exported to 54 countries around the world.
TunisianMonitorOnline
