Tunisia – Olive Oil Sector: More Than 2.1 Million Hectares and 212,000 Tonnes of Olive Oil Exported Annually

In Tunisia, the olive oil sector plays a strategic role in the national agricultural economy. According to data presented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries during a workshop devoted to the “national dialogue between the public and private sectors on the development, valorization and sustainability of Tunisia’s olive oil sector,” the country’s olive-growing area covers more than 2.1 million hectares, representing around 42% of arable agricultural land, and comprises more than 147 million olive trees.

The sector is also linked to some 309,000 farms, thereby providing a direct or indirect source of income for a large proportion of households, in addition to generating activity in processing, storage, packaging, marketing and refining.

The sector accounts for approximately 10% of the value of agricultural production and represents nearly 44% of total agricultural exports. Over the past five years, olive oil exports have averaged around 212,000 tonnes per year.

The 2025/2026 campaign recorded a significant increase in production, which reached approximately 500,000 tonnes, compared with 340,000 tonnes during the previous campaign, representing an increase of nearly 47%. Olive oil exports also rose by 50.8% during the first ten months of the campaign, reaching approximately 381,200 tonnes, an increase of 41.2%. Organic olive oil exports amounted to around 53,000 tonnes.

In his opening speech, the Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries stressed that the ministry’s strategic direction is aimed at developing an integrated vision for the development of the olive oil sector through 2050. This vision is intended to address economic, climatic and technological changes while strengthening the sector’s contribution to economic growth, food security, export development and job creation, as well as the sustainable use of natural resources and environmental protection.

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