Tunisian dates are among the best in the world, renowned for their sweetness and rich flavor.
Often consumed raw, they are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Deglet Nour dates, in particular, are rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, making them beneficial for preventing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
This is one of the reasons why Tunisia’s date export revenues reached 581.8 million dinars (MD) by the end of February 2025, a slight decrease of 1% compared to the same period the previous year, according to data published by the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI).
The average price of dates in February 2025 was 6.02 dinars per kilogram, marking a 1.9% decline compared to the same month in the previous season.
Exported quantities between the start of the season (October 2024) and the end of February 2025 amounted to 90.3 thousand tons, down 2.9% from 92.9 thousand tons during the same period the previous year. The Deglet Nour variety accounted for 86.8% of total export volumes.
In terms of export destinations, the European Union holds the largest share at 37.3%, followed by Africa at 28.9%, and Asia at 23.7%.
Morocco is the top importer of Tunisian dates, accounting for 22.8% of exported quantities during the first five months of the 2024/2025 season, followed by Italy (9.9%) and France (6.9%).
By the end of February 2025, exports of organic dates reached 3.7 thousand tons, valued at approximately 35 million dinars.
Compared to the same period the previous year, organic date exports fell by 5.9%, while revenues dropped by 30.7%.
However, organic dates accounted for only 4% of total date exports (all types combined). The average price of organic dates was 9.36 dinars per kilogram, varying by type: 8.38 dinars/kg for conventional organic dates, 10.35 dinars/kg for organic date derivatives, and 2.53 dinars/kg for industrial-grade organic dates.
Germany remains the top destination for organic dates, representing 28% of export volumes, followed by the Netherlands (12%) and France (12%).
Tunisia: 2nd largest exporter and 3rd in revenue
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently published a list of the top 10 date producers/exporters globally.
Tunisia ranks second worldwide in terms of exported quantities (130,307 tons) and third in terms of revenue ($244.75 million).
The UN agency notes that global date production covers an area of over 1.09 million hectares, with an estimated annual output of more than 8.5 million tons across nearly 5,000 date varieties worldwide.
The two main production zones are Asia, which accounts for 55.8% of global production, and Africa with 43.4%.
Arab countries alone produce 77% of the world’s dates, approximately 6.6 million tons annually, and are home to nearly 160 million date palm trees.
