The adoption of the Animal Health Law and the law on settling farmers’ debts has raised hopes that farmers will finally benefit from remaining advantages related to insurance and guarantees, reforms that have been proposed repeatedly over the past decades, said Fathi Ben Khalifa, economic advisor to the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries.
In an interview with Mosaïque FM, he emphasized that bank support and guidance give young people hope to invest in the sector.
He stressed the importance for banks to evolve their approach to agricultural financing by offering preferential rates and adopting a more flexible stance toward agricultural seasons and the sector as a whole to support farmers.
He explained that a drop in income during one season can often be offset by the next, making it unfair to permanently penalize farmers or blacklist them simply for being late on loan repayments.
Ben Khalifa also stated that maintaining production capacities, which ensures market stability, supplies Tunisian consumers, and safeguards food security, aligns with the state’s self-sufficiency policy.
This policy relies on the consumption of domestic production, especially amid global economic crises and the worldwide trend toward self-sufficiency.
He highlighted that state and bank support for the development of agricultural lands, including those near Tunisia’s borders, helps curb rural exodus and encourages young people to invest in local agriculture.
He stressed the importance of this support for graduates of Tunisia’s six agricultural schools and professional training centers, located between Borj El Khadhra and Bizerte, to leverage human capital in agricultural development and enable young Tunisians to remain in the country.
