The Phoenicians brought olive tree to Tunisia
Tunisia, Agriculture, 4/30/2001

Tunisia owes the Phoenicians who founded Cartage in the 9th century BC, to introducing the olive tree plantation to the country, whose oil has become one of the most important national income which also depends on tourism, and also palm plantation.

Olive plantation in Tunisia developed on a large scale since the Roman era until the present times, and as a result Tunisia is the fourth among the olive oil producing countries following Spain, Italy and Greece. Tunisia is also the world's second country in exporting olive oil of which it exports 150,000 tons annually.

However, the volume of produced olive oil, which is linked to a great extent to climatic conditions, varies from one season to another. It was less than 100,000 tons in 1998 and more than 200,000 tons in 1999. Olive oil is the main agricultural produce for Tunisia. The two main countries which import the Tunisian olive oil are Italy and France. Tunisia is but an orchard, a big orchard, for olive trees. It includes 55 million of these trees which are planted on an area of 1.6 million hectares.

Just recently a seminar was organized in al-Manastir province to the south of Tunisia on the " olive oil and the public health" under the patronage of the Tunisian society for cities which are producers to olive oil and the olive oil national bureau.

The researchers, academics, food nutrition experts briefed the audience on the benefits of using olive oil in cooking, stressing that it prevents cholesterol and heart- diseases.

The use of olive oil is not limited to these areas, it is also used in cosmetics matters and in treatment against certain skin diseases, including skin inflammation. It also protects against the sun- rays and is used in Shampoo compositions.

Certain people attribute " holy benefits" of the olive oil as the olive tree was mentioned in the holy Koran.

The olive tree in Tunisia has also become an evidence of Tunisia's cultural heritage whose history dates back to ancient ages.

The olive tree starts to yield after 35 years of its plantation and continues to bear fruit until it is 150 years old. It flowers from April until June and the olives are picked in September. The Olive is cultivated in September and pressed into olive oil in the two last months of the years.

On average the Tunisians consume 50,000 tons of olive oil per year and one out of 8 Tunisians survives on olive farming. The country is equipped with all necessary equipment to produce olive oil.

Since old times, no fundamental change has been introduced to extracting olive oil and still there are until today manual pressing units, where producers extract their crops.

Previous Stories:
  An increase in Tunis' exports of olive oil   (1/7/2000)
  Increase in Tunisia's exports of foodstuffs   (12/31/1999)
  Tunisian olive oil exports increase dramatically   (9/3/1999)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search