The quantities of dates exported until August 22, 2016 have reached a record level, i.e. 104,500 tons against 95,600 tons exported in 2015 and 103 thousand tons during the exceptional season in 2012-2013, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries said in a press release Monday.
The value of these exports, which reached 465 million Tunisian dinars (MTD) against 441 MTD during the same period of the previous year, should increase since the export season continues until the end of September, 2016, said the same source.
Exports of organic dates reached 13,000 tons until August 22, 2016, against 12,200 tons in the last season.
Export operations continue to 64 countries, knowing that the date sector’s production capacity for 2014/2015 season amounted to 246 thousand tons.
The ministry said Tunisian dates rank first in terms of trade value and fifth in terms of quantities exported.
The production of dates has special importance to the national economy, especially as exports of this agricultural product ranks second after those of olive oil.
