Tunis, August 22: Tunisia’s cereal production has halved this year due to dry weather, the agriculture ministry said Saturday.
Yields of wheat and barley were hit by a lack of rainfall at the time of sowing, and reached just 1.2 million tonnes this season compared with 2.45 million tonnes in 2009 for a country, half of which is arid.
The agriculture ministry said Tunisia would import over two million tonnes of cereal this season from countries including the United States, Canada and Europe, to meet local needs.
Tunisia’s cereal production relies heavily on the weather, and irrigated land contributes on average 200,000 tonnes for each harvest.
—Agencies