Varieties and Olive Grove Production Systems in Tunisia

The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is a species characteristic of the Mediterranean landscape, and Mediterranean countries clearly dominate world olive oil and table olive production and consumption. Tunisia is the largest southern Mediterranean country producing olive and olive oil and is considered the fourth producer of olive oil in the world. At present, olive trees are planted in all regions from the north to the south, and a rich assortment of varieties exists in the country due its geographical location and the crossroad trade between the East, West, and Europe. However, the two main varieties grown in the country are Chétoui in the north and Chemlali in the south. Others, called secondary varieties, are more specific to small regions, especially Oueslati, Chemchali, Zalmati, Zarrazi, and Gerboui varieties. Olive culture is a complex agrosystem with variability in production systems, cultivation techniques, and genetic resources. Most of the orchard density ranges between 100 and 150 trees/ha in the north compared with 60 trees/ha in the center and 20 trees/ha in the south generally in rainfed orchards farmed for oil production. Since the 2000s, traditional planting systems have been transformed into more intensive groves, and some traditional orchards are reconverted into more intensive systems. At present, there are more than 2000 ha of super-intensive orchards. Nevertheless, traditional olive production systems are the most expended in the country as these systems contribute to rural development, landscape conservation, and protection of the environment. Tunisia is deploying restructuring efforts to modernize and improve the quality of olive oil, accompanied by a significant expansion of intensive and high-density groves. The challenge of Tunisia is to develop its competitive strategies of olive sector allowing it to strengthen its competitiveness compared to European countries.