level of fertiliser usage in Tunisia remains acceptable, says Agriculture Minister

The level of fertiliser usage in Tunisia remains acceptable, said Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries Abdel Monêm Belati on Tuesday. The Minister was speaking during a seminar organised by the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT), in collaboration with the Arab Fertiliser Association on "Digital Technological Applications and Artificial Intelligence in the Fertiliser Sector." He pointed out that this situation is the result of awareness and outreach efforts aimed at farmers to use necessary quantities of fertiliser in accordance with analyses. He added that the fertiliser sector plays a pivotal role considering its contribution to economic development, citing examples such as foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports, improving the efficiency of the agricultural sector, and creating employment in production and industrialisation sites. Minister Belati stated that the fertiliser needs of the agricultural sector are estimated at around 500,000 tonnes of solid materials and 2 million l itres of bulk materials. 340,000 tonnes are locally produced, while the remaining quantities are imported by the GCT and the private sector. The Agriculture Minister emphasised that integrating digital technology and artificial intelligence applications at the level of Arab countries in the fertiliser production sector is now a significant incentive to promote the sector, addressing the challenge of developing agricultural systems and achieving food security. He also indicated that the new challenges facing the world, especially Arab countries in the context of climate change and regional crises, require strengthening joint cooperation and economic integration in all areas, particularly the agricultural sector, to achieve food security for Arab peoples. "The mastery of agricultural techniques, the preservation and sustainability of natural resources, the utilisation of new technologies, and the exchange of expertise among Arab countries are crucial levers for achieving Arab food security". The Arab world in general and Tunisia in particular face challenges related to the negative impacts of climate change, Belati added. On this occasion, the Minister called on the countries responsible for this change to assume their responsibilities, stating that an amount of $100 billion has been allocated in the past 5 years to support countries threatened by climate change, but "nothing has materialised." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse