The production of seasonal tomatoes for processing in the governorate of Sidi Bouzid is estimated this year at 126 thousand tons, said local agricultural development commissioner, Mohamed Ahmadi.
Some 5,000 tons of tomato have been harvested so far, i.e. 4 PC of the entire crop to be consumed fresh, said Ahmadi.
He pointed, in this regard, to a number of problems that hinder the smooth tomato harvesting, including the lack of standard contract between the producer and manufacturer, lack of collectors who work according to specifications and a lack of space to store the harvest in favorable conditions.
The governorate of Sidi Bouzid, which occupied the 3rd place nationwide in tomato production, has experienced a decline in production in 2010 and 2012 because of the fall in the planned area, in addition to the problems encountered in that sector.
