Tunisia keen to emulate Ethiopia’s recent best agricultural productivity practice

Addis Ababa, November 13, 2024 (FBC) — Tunisia has expressed its desire to cooperate with Ethiopia, particularly in the sphere of wheat cultivation and replicate best practice.

Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Ezzedine Ben Cheikh who attended World Without Hunger Conference in Addis Ababa, told local news agency ENA that his country is keen to collaborate with Ethiopia in the agriculture sector.

In recent years, Ethiopia has embarked on transforming the food system through various initiatives and the country has been witnessing successes in crop production in this regard.

Particularly, wheat production and productivity have significantly improved over the past five years in Ethiopia and the country demonstrated its ability by starting wheat export to the international market, it was indicated.

And many have been considering this success story as a milestone that could be considered as best practice for African countries.

To this effect, crop cultivation is a key area to consolidate cooperation with Ethiopia, the Tunisian Minister stated. For Cheikh, “The field of grains is one of the most important areas of cooperation between our two countries.”

He pointed out that the ongoing Russia- Ukraine war that has resulted in grain prices rising.

As a result, Ethiopia has been emerging as a potential opportunity to diversify grain sources, he added.

“In light of the crises as a result of Ukraine and Russia, we seek to diversify our grain sources and believe that Ethiopia will be a valuable partner in this endeavor,” Cheikh stated.

The minister called for enhanced experience exchanges and visiting delegations to align perspectives and strengthen cooperation.

“We invite delegations from Ethiopia to visit Tunisia and vice versa, so we can bridge our viewpoints and enhance relations between our brotherly African nations,” he indicated.

He also noted Tunisia’s best practice in producing and exporting dates and olive oil, calling for collaboration in these sectors.

Tunisia is a leader in oil production, being the second-largest global exporter of olive oil and the top exporter of dates, the Minister revealed, adding that there are many areas where also his country excels.

Furthermore, Minister Cheikh welcomed cooperation in exchanging expertise and experiences in agriculture and other fields, stating, “We are eager to welcome Ethiopians for capacity development and to enhance our capabilities in areas where they have succeeded.”

He also stressed the need for exchanging expertise in the sphere of linking water dams that could benefit the nations.

“Ethiopia receives ample rainfall, while Tunisia has faced five consecutive dry years. We have addressed this through our water policies, which include interconnected dams. This unique feature allows us to pump water between dams, ensuring resources are available even when some dams are low.”

Finally, the Minister shared his enthusiasm for his visit to Ethiopia, stating, “I am very happy to be in Ethiopia for the first time. I see significant growth here, and I appreciate the excellent organization and hospitality.”