| Samir Aouni, a young Tunisian from the Sidi Ali Ben Aoun region in Sidi Bouzid governorate, is the owner of a brand of olive oil that won three gold medals in 2024 after participating in nine competitions dedicated to this product. In 2023, his product has already won eight gold medals after taking part in eight international competitions in Japan, Turkey, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Berlin and other countries… Aouni is a computer engineer and a ‘pure product’ of Tunisian public schools. In 2011, he decided to set up an agri-food company called ‘Chebla pour les huiles alimentaires’ (Chebla for edible oils). “I decided to stay in Tunisia and start my own project in the olive oil sector. Olive oil production was my ancestors’ trade and I’m very passionate about it. It’s also a challenge for me to create an olive oil production company that exports its entire production,” he adds. We have to make the most of what we have Going back over the details of his experience, Samir Aouni says that he has adopted a “niche strategy or a specialised market strategy based on three axes: raw materials, processing equipment and, finally, value chains.” The specialised market strategy makes it possible to analyse market needs by using modern technologies to change consumption and distribution patterns, he told TAP news agency. “Our current strategy is to make the product better known, with the aim of achieving regional, national and then international coverage.” To achieve this, he says, “we are taking part in international exhibitions and competitions to raise awareness and promote our product, with a view to exporting it at a later stage”. The young computer scientist emphasises the need for surplus production and the creation of value chains. His company, Chebla, owns three oil mills and relies on production from the farm as well as from other neighbouring areas such as Sidi Bouzid, Kasserine and Gafsa. “On our farm, we grow all kinds of plants, both national and international, and we employ six permanent staff and mainly seasonal workers,” he explained. “Thanks to our discipline and our commitment to a quality product, we have become one of the most important companies in the organic olive oil sector in Tunisia,” he pointed out. He added that as of 2023, the company has begun to create its value chains, “a necessary step before capturing the export markets planned for the next season, 2024-2025… This will only be possible by creating a company entirely focused on exports.” In order to achieve this goal, “we need to guarantee surplus production, and this is what we are currently trying to achieve,” he added. |
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Young IT specialist and head of agri-food company wins gold medals in olive oil competitions
