The Central Council of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP) held its first meeting on the island of Djerba on Saturday after its last congress in Tabarka.

Vice-president in charge of information and public relations, Naceur Amdouni, said there were four points on the agenda: the follow-up to the recommendations of the congress, the activities of the organisation, the presentation and approval of the financial results and the election of the regulatory and financial control committees.

In his speech, President of UTAP, Noureddine Ben Ayed, highlighted the ability of the agricultural sector to meet the country's food needs despite the climatic challenges and water stress by developing policies to make better use of groundwater and rainfall.

He stressed the need to improve the productivity of the agricultural sector in its various branches, especially since the majority of farms are 85% family-run. This would be done by redoubling work and deepening consultations with the relevant authorities to persuade them to find solutions to resolve a number of difficult situations in the sector, he added.

Ben Ayed also emphasised the "exceptional" relationship between the agricultural organisation and the Regulatory Board, referring to his recent meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, who expressed his willingness to resolve a number of issues, including the development of an urgent programme to meet production needs, particularly for field crops.

He referred to the difficult financial situation of the agricultural organisation.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse