• Deglet Nour production seen rising 18.3% year on year

• Higher output expected to boost date exports and revenue

Tunisia’s date harvest is forecast to reach 404,000 tonnes in the 2025/2026 season, according to the latest estimates from the National Committee monitoring programmes under the Date Quality Promotion Fund. That would mark a 16.3% increase from the previous season’s output of 347,000 tonnes.

“This is a record harvest, exceeding the 400,000-tonne threshold for the first time,” the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement published on its website on Jan. 13.

Production of Deglet Nour, an iconic variety and Tunisia’s main export date, is expected to rise 18.3% from a year earlier to 347,000 tonnes. Output of common dates is forecast at 57,000 tonnes, up 5.5% from the previous season.

While officials did not detail the drivers behind the improvement, Tunisia has stepped up support for the sector in recent years to strengthen its resilience to drought and pests. In one measure, the Ministry of Agriculture said in March 2025 it distributed 5 million nets to producers to protect crops from weather damage and parasites, as part of preparations for the current season.

Authorities also said in November 2024 that Tunisia had received $25 million in financial support from the United States to strengthen the sector’s production system and help it adapt to drought-related pressures. Overall, the expected rise in the 2025/2026 harvest is likely to increase Tunisia’s export volumes and boost revenue.

Tunisia exported 153,000 tonnes of dates in 2024, generating 955 million dinars ($330 million) in revenue, according to data compiled by the National Observatory of Agriculture (Onagri).

Stéphanas Assocle