Tunisia: Agricultural products aiming higher markets

The implementation of a project destined to ease and improve market accessibility of Tunisia’s harissa, Djebba fig and prickly pear produce is being done by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and funded by the Government of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
The project will kick off from the beginning of next year and will be determined to contribute to the implementation of the country’s fruit and vegetable export strategy launched in 2011 as well as the overall national agro-food development programme, benefiting one of the most important economic sectors in terms of employment and gross domestic product.
Several actors have taken part in the development of the project and some were drawn from the value chains after official requests for assistance was submitted by the ministries of Industry and Agriculture.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization will help strengthen the organization and governance of the selected value chains, improve the productivity, quality compliance, and product development of micro, small and medium sized enterprises and enhance their position in both domestic and export markets.
The way of presenting the products will also be upgraded because the project will enable them to satisfy international requirements such as labeling products to indicate both quality and geographical origins in order to put them in higher niche markets with a resulting increase in revenues and employment opportunities.
Empowering young entrepreneurs and women is also part of the project. Those who are part of the value chain will be supported as well as producers situated in disadvantaged regions.
Similar projects are also planned to be executed in the region and Morocco will be lucky to a project supporting the argan oil and the prickly pear value chains in the Ait Bâamrane region financed by SECO.