Tunisia: President Kais Saied Urges Removing All Obstacles Facing Small Farmers

Tunis, Dec. 30 — President Kais Saied met Monday at the Carthage Palace Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Ezzeddine Ben Cheikh, CEO of the National Olive Oil Office, Moez Ben Omar and CEO of the National Feed Office, Nizar Ayari.

At the outset of the meeting, the Head of State reiterated that agriculture is part of Tunisia's national security, stressing that God has endowed the country with abundant resources and blessed it with a record harvest after a prolonged period of drought.

He underscored that a sacred national duty requires removing all obstacles, especially those facing small farmers, so that they can fully and fairly obtain their rights, from olive harvesting and pressing to marketing across the country and abroad.

He emphasised the need for swift and urgent intervention to alleviate their suffering.

According to a statement from the Presidency, the Head of State renewed his emphasis on the role of the National Olive Oil Office, noting that the increase in storage capacity between last year and the current year remains below expectations, with only a modest rise that does not meet needs.

He also affirmed that the state has sufficient legislation to safeguard its resources and stand by its people in all fields, and that it will not allow lobbies and their extensions to harm even a single hair on the heads of Tunisians anywhere.

The meeting also addressed the role of the National Feed Office in supplying feed to farmers and confronting those who have attempted, and continue to attempt, to monopolise the market.

These actors are known, including those who lowered prices so as to prevent the Office from fulfilling its market-regulating role.

Moreover, the President of the Republic stressed the need to work on renewing livestock stocks: sheep, cattle, camels, and others and to preserve Tunisia's own seeds so that the country does not remain hostage to any foreign party that controls their prices and undermines Tunisia's agricultural sovereignty.

Read the original article on Tunis Afrique Presse.