Morocco Emerges as Top Importer of Tunisian Dates, Outpacing European Buyers

According to data published by the National Observatory of Agriculture (Onagri, Tunisia), Morocco imported 20.7% of the volumes exported by Tunisia during the first seven months of the 2024-2025 agricultural campaign, making it the main purchaser of Tunisian dates. The kingdom is ahead of Italy (11%) and France (8.2%). The European Union absorbed 41.4% of Tunisian date volumes. It is followed by Africa (26%) and Asia (21.6%). Tunisia now ranks second worldwide in terms of exported volumes (130,307 tons) and third in value, with $244.75 million (about 2.4 billion dirhams) received in the last complete campaign, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In total, 107,900 tons of Tunisian dates were sold on foreign markets by the end of April, compared to 114,700 tons, a 6% decrease from the same period the previous year (114,700 tons). In terms of value, revenues fell by 4.3% to 687.1 million Tunisian dinars (about 2.2 billion Moroccan dirhams), compared to 717.7 million a year earlier (about 2.3 billion dirhams).

Deglet Nour remains the most prized and sought-after Tunisian variety. This variety represented 85.4% of the volumes sold, with an average price of 7 dinars per kilogram (about 22.50 dirhams), compared to 6.37 dinars for all exported dates (about 20.50 dirhams). Last April, a kilogram cost 5.95 dinars (about 18.90 dirhams), a slight increase (+4.1%) over twelve months.