Deglet Noor, or "date of light" in Arabic, is one of the leading North African date varieties, making it one of the most popular dates in the world. These dates are produced commercially in 3 countries: Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. Mohamed Sadok defends the Tunisian origin.
"Deglet Noor dates are the pride of Tunisian producers and a gift we send to date lovers all over the world," says Sadok. "The season has only just begun, and we're pleased that production in Tunisia has increased over the previous season, despite the climatic challenges. On a national scale, Tunisia produced 328 thousand tonnes of Deglet Noor or 80% of all dates produced in the country."
Tunisia competes with its neighbors, especially Algeria, which produces 1.2 million tons of dates a year, more than half of which are of the Deglet Noor variety. Sadok says, "Despite competition from Algeria, we manage to export significant volumes. Last season, Tunisia exported nearly 115 thousand tonnes of Deglet Noor, which testifies to the strength of demand. With the increase in volumes this season, I'm confident that our export performance will be even better."
The reason for the high demand for Tunisian Deglet Noor, compared with their Algerian counterparts, according to Sadok, "Tunisian dates stand out for their freshness throughout the season. In Algeria, dates are harvested earlier than in Tunisia, which forces Algerian producers to store them in refrigerators at -20 degrees later in the season. In Tunisia, we continue to harvest dates right up to the end of the season, and our dates stay fresh for a longer period. It's true that Algerian Deglet Noor is very good too, but we have an advantage in preservation methods."
On the price front too, competition is forcing prices to stabilize. Sadok says, "This season our prices have only risen by a slight proportion, in line with the increase in production costs and especially energy. Our prices remain very competitive, and Tunisian exports of Deglet Noor even fell in value by 3.7% last season."
"At Cartagoexpo, we'll be marketing 1,000 tonnes of the best Deglet Noor harvests this season. We're focusing on the European market, which knows and appreciates this variety thanks to the presence of a large North African diaspora," concludes Sadok.
For more information:
Mohamed Sadok
CarthagoExpo
Tel. : +216 21 143 905
Emai: [email protected]