Areas dedicated to strawberry cultivation in the governorate of Nabeul — which accounts for 90 percent of national production for the second consecutive season — are witnessing a decline. Cultivated surfaces did not exceed 310 hectares this season, compared with 350 hectares last season, according to Imed El Bey, head of the Regional Union of Agriculture and Fisheries in Nabeul.
Speaking to the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) news agency, El Bey said initial estimates indicate that production is expected to reach around 12,000 tonnes, or an average yield of 40 tonnes per hectare, compared with 14,000 tonnes last season. This represents a decline in output estimated at between 10 and 15 percent, which he attributed to farmers turning away from strawberry cultivation due to rising production costs.
The cost of strawberry production has been increasing sharply from one season to the next. This season, the cost of cultivating one hectare is estimated at nearly 120,000 dinars, compared with no more than 100,000 dinars last season. This rise is driven by a surge of at least 15 percent in the prices of seedlings and agricultural inputs, in addition to labor shortages and higher wages.
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