The Tunisian Deglet Nour season continues following the harvest in October. Volumes have increased by 14% according to official estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture totaling 328 thousand tons. According to Mohamed Akermi, the season has reached a turning point with the exhaustion of premium Deglet Nour dates, exported in particular to Europe and Morocco.
Akermi says, "It's increasingly difficult to source premium Deglet Nour dates, as temperatures have risen since the harvest and also due to rainfall. October to November was the window when we tried to export the most volumes of the prime branch, and now exporters are focusing on dried dates and second-branch dates destined for distant markets."
"Second-branch dates are well-suited for long transit times to Asian countries" adds Akermi, "as for premium dates, they are intended for the fresh export market to Morocco and Europe. I still have volumes in this category, which I plan to export rapidly."
Tunisian Deglet Nour exporters are already gearing up for the Ramadan period, which begins in the second week of March 2024. Akermi says, "We're expecting an increase in demand from Asian countries with large Muslim populations, such as Malaysia and Indonesia. It's a demand that arrives 2 months before Ramadan, given the transit time and customs clearance delays. Dried or second-branch Deglet Nour then experience a peak in demand."
Prices have remained stable this season, adds Akermi. "Reference prices are set at the beginning of the season, and have not increased much compared with last season. This keeps Tunisian dates highly competitive on the market."
For more information:
Akermi Mohamed
TuniLeaf
Tel: +21654559332
Email: m.akermi@tunileaf.com