Ramzi Trabelsi, Director of the National Observatory of Supply and Prices at the Ministry of Commerce, stated that the prices of vegetables, fruits, and white meats have decreased since the second week of Ramadan.
He described the situation as “satisfactory, both in terms of supply and prices, with the exception of some increases affecting certain products.”
In an interview with Africanmanager on Wednesday, March 12, Trabelsi explained that this year’s Ramadan coincided with the structural spring crisis, leading to reduced production and significant price hikes for certain vegetables during the first days of Ramadan, such as peas, green beans, and white onions.
He assured that “starting from the second week, we observed an increase in the supply of vegetables, which led to a decrease in prices,” according to his remarks.
The official highlighted that chili pepper prices fell by 6% on the 11th day of Ramadan compared to the first day, while pea prices dropped by 28%.
Additionally, Trabelsi noted that the continuous rise in harvest prices is due to a decline in citrus and apple production.
In this regard, he explained that apple supplies decreased by 86% due to reduced production, while strawberries dropped by 25% and oranges by 11%.
“The quantities of agricultural products arriving at the Bir El Kassaa wholesale market during the first 11 days of Ramadan reached 9,913 tons, marking a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The quantities are distributed as follows: 6,540 tons of vegetables, 3,090 tons of fruits, and 283 tons of fish,” Trabelsi added.
6,700 economic violations in 10 days!
Regarding economic control campaigns, he revealed that 1,500 agents conducted approximately 36,000 inspection visits during the first 11 days of Ramadan, a 5% increase compared to the same period during Ramadan 2024.
He assured that these visits led to the identification of 6,700 economic violations, representing a growth rate of over 16%.
The most significant seizures included 107 tons of vegetables and fruits, around 14,000 eggs, 8 tons of sugar, 110 tons of subsidized grain derivatives, and 961 kg of coffee.
The official added that the control program during the second half of Ramadan will focus on areas selling and manufacturing confectionery, ready-to-wear shops, and entertainment venues.
He explained that these control campaigns aim to preserve the purchasing power of Tunisians and ensure the supply of basic food products to markets, not only during Ramadan but throughout the entire year.
