Approved investments in the agricultural sector amounted to 292.8 million Tunisian dinars (MDT) for 1,629 investment operations at the end of June 2022, up 3.4% in number and 39.3% in value, compared to the same period in 2021, indicates the Agricultural Investment Promotion Agency (Apia).
These investments, once made, will create 1,644 permanent jobs, compared to 1,752 during the same period in 2021, adds the same source. It remains to be seen if they will all be realized and in what time frame.
Compared to the 2016-2020 development plan, approved private agricultural investments fell by 27.1% in number and 12.2% in value.
With regard to sectors of activity, approved investments in poultry farming amounted to 41.4 MTD at the end of June 2022, against 5.7 MTD during the same period in 2021.
Investments in arboriculture reached 97.7 MTD, representing 52.5% of the total volume approved in the agricultural sector. While they reached 34.9 MTD in olive growing.
Investments approved in the trawling activity amounted to 16.7 MTD at the end of June 2022 against 2.3 MTD over the same period last year.
Investments in the aquaculture sector increased to represent 4% of the total volume approved, after having not exceeded 1%. Ditto for approved investments in fish farming in floating cages which represented 82.3% and approved investments in milk collection (+79.1% to 7.7 MTD).
Investments approved in oil mills accounted for 95.8% of the total volume approved in the primary processing sector.
Approved investments received subsidies worth 79.7 MTD, i.e. 27.2% of the total against 67.1 MTD during the same period in 2021.
Moreover, the commissions granting benefits approved, in the first half of 2022, 26 land loans worth 4.3 MTD against 27 loans worth 4.4 MTD during the same period of 2021.
These loans will make it possible to integrate 259 hectares of land into the economic cycle against 299 during the same period of 2021.
As for declared investments, Apia indicated that 2,872 investment operations worth 547.1 MTD were recorded during the first six months of 2022, down by 19.9% in number and by 22, 3% in value compared to the same period last year.
Compared to the 2016-2020 development plan, the number of declared investments fell by 29.8% in number and 21.6% in value.
