Tunisia hikes local purchase price of wheat, plans self-sufficiency in durum wheat
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TUNIS, April 6 (Reuters) – Tunisia said on Wednesday it was raising the purchase price of wheat and barley from local farmers to encourage production and achieve food security, and that it aimed to achieve self-sufficiency in durum wheat production from next season.
The agriculture ministry said the price for durum was increasing to 130 dinars ($43.59) per 100 kg from 87 dinars, soft wheat will fetch 100 dinars per quintal from 67 dinars, and barley will be at 80 dinars per quintal.
Tunisia, which is suffering a deep financial crisis, was badly affected by the rise in global wheat prices resulting from the war in Ukraine.
The impact of price rises for grain and oil on Tunisia’s budget will be slightly less than $1.7 billion this year, economy minister Samir Saied told Reuters last week.
The agriculture ministry said it would work to reduce crop losses during harvest, transport and collection, as well as reduce fires, to reach self-sufficiency in hard wheat next season.
Tunisia will plant an additional 800,000 hectares dedicated to durum wheat and will focus on providing seeds that increase productivity.
The country, which in the last decade has an average grain harvest of about 1.5 million tonnes, consumes around 3.4 million tonnes per year.
About 30% of Tunisian grain imports are durum wheat.
