Olive oil prices for the current season are still under review, announced Dorsaf Ben Ahmed, director of the General Directorate of Agricultural Production at the Ministry of Agriculture.
She told a press conference at the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday, November 5, that the season is just beginning and the harvest rate has not exceeded 5%, noting that olive prices are currently fluctuating between 1.5 and 4.5 dinars per kilogram, while olive oil prices vary between 18 and 22 dinars per liter.
She pointed out that prices are still high and are expected to fall from December onwards. In the same context, she pointed out that the Ministry of Agriculture has no control over the price of olive oil, which is subject to supply and demand on the world markets.
Program to promote national consumption
She said that as part of the efforts to promote national consumption of olive oil, the national program was approved to supply 10,500 tons of extra virgin oil to distribution channels at a price of 15 dinars per liter from December 15, 2023.
The completion rate of the program has reached 68% and the quantities sold on the domestic market are estimated at 7.5 million liters, representing 25% of local consumption,” she added.
She went on to say that the program has been a great success in terms of public demand for excellent quality olive oil.
Work is currently underway to reformulate the program to better meet the needs of Tunisians, and the Ministry is working to develop national consumption of olive oil.
(…) The volume of Tunisian olive oil exports during the period from November 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 amounted to 190,122 tons, worth 5,025 million dinars, including 26,483 tons of packaged olive oil worth 765 million dinars,’ she added.
She described this level as a record, noting that export revenues have risen by 58%, while the quantities of packaged olive oil exported have increased by 45%.
Ben Ahmed pointed out that Tunisia exported more than 39 thousand tons of organic olive oil worth 1061 million dinars during the same period, representing a 26.8% decrease in quantity and a 9.4% increase in price compared to the same period last season.
Tunisia, the world’s second largest producer
It should be noted that in the 2024/2025 season, Tunisia ranked second in the world in terms of olive oil production, after Spain, which leads the list of producing countries (1,250 tons).
Turkey is in third place with almost 300,000 tons, followed by Greece (250,000 tons) and Italy (200,000 tons). World olive oil production for the 2025 season has reached almost 3 million tons, up 20% compared to 2024.
In turn, Tunisian olive oil exports are at record levels. Between November 2023 and the end of September 2024, Tunisia exported 190,122 tons of olive oil worth 5025 million dinars, including 26,483 tons of packaged olive oil worth 765 million dinars, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
