TİKA Supports Tunisia’s National Gene Bank

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a chemical and molecular analysis laboratory for the identification, analysis, and registration of local fruit species, especially local olive tree species, within Tunisia’s National Gene Bank, affiliated with the Ministry of Environment of Tunisia.

The project implemented by TİKA aims to ensure the conservation of olive, which accounts for a significant portion of Tunisia’s agricultural production and exports; to preserve olive trees for future generations; and to increase the added value. The project will consist of four phases: the location of the exact position of local olive species and their harvesting (first phase), the characterization and morphological analyses of these olive species (second phase), the registration of the analyzed olive species in the database and their labeling (third phase), and the cultivation of high-yielding olive species in nurseries and the distribution of these saplings (fourth and final phase).

In the second part of the project, which aims to increase the added value in olive and olive oil production in Tunisia, a greenhouse will be built in order to grow and distribute these olive saplings.

TİKA has carried out more than 30 agricultural projects and activities in Tunisia. The Agency continues to develop projects in this industry, which has the highest share in employment.