“We will prioritize the Moroccan market this Ramadan”
With two months to go before the start of Ramadan, which this year coincides with the beginning of March, Tunisian date exporters are gearing up to meet the occasional surge in demand. Ghazi Rouissi, CEO of the House of Dates, reports a special situation this year.
Ghazi says, “The situation is tricky this year in Tunisia, and also in Algeria, in terms of production. We had several cycles of heavy rains between August and November, which caused more fermentation and infestation than usual. The August rains, just before harvest, were very damaging. As a result, volumes are down by 30-40% and it’s harder to source quality dates.”
“The rains were also accompanied by temperature swings, and all this increased the cost of production. We have to do more sorting and it’s complicated to remove dates with non-apparent infestation and fermentation,” the exporter continues.
According to the grower, demand will therefore exceed supply for Ramadan 2025: “We won’t be able to supply all our customers or 100% of the quantities ordered. We will prioritize our traditional markets, especially the Moroccan market this Ramadan. On the other hand, there will be fewer exports to Europe and the Americas.”
To read the full article, please visit “We will prioritize the Moroccan market this Ramadan”. Published on January 7, 2025.