The competitive advantage of the Tunisian palm date sector in the Mediterranean region
Abstract
In Tunisia, date-palm cultivation and production are of clear strategic importance in terms of economic, social and environmental development. However, the globalization of markets has had a huge impact on the traditional concept of the comparative advantage enjoyed by Tunisia in date exports, highlighting the necessary determinants for competitiveness in the international scenario. In fact, an analysis of the competitive advantage of the Tunisian date industry in the Mediterranean area and Iran over the last 20 years shows that Tunisia is still the main supplier of dates to the EU. The Deglet-Nour variety, in particular, puts Tunisia ahead of traditional competitors such as Algeria and Iran, with average of competitiveness indices as BIS 6405.99, DI 17.38, CMS 41.04 and TBI 99.50 are more stable than those countries during the studied period. But it is currently facing new competitors like Israel and re-exporting countries like France. New business strategies (conditioning, new non-chemical treatments, packing, opening new markets, new distribution channels) would be positive responses to tackle current market limitations, the emergence of new producers and restrictive EU policies.
Downloads
References
References
AfDB, 2012. Distortions to agricultural policy incentives in Tunisia: A preliminary analysis. African Development Bank, Economic Brief. Available in: http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Brochure%20note%20politique%20agriculture%20Anglais.pdf. [February 2014].
Ahmadi-Esfahani FZ, 2006. Constant market shares analysis: uses, limitations and prospects. Aust J Agr Resour Econ 50: 510-526. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8489.2006.00364.x
Ahmed M, 2001. Disinfestation of stored grains, pulses, dried fruit and nuts, and other dried foods. In: Food irradiation principles and applications (Molins R, ed.), Wiley Intersci, NY, pp: 77-112.
APIA, 2008. Étude de positionnement stratégique de la Deglet Nour tunisienne et de la promotion de ses exportations a long et moyen terme. Agence de Promotion des Investissements Agricoles de la Tunisie, 194 pp.
Asche F, Guttormsen AG, Sebulonsen T, Sissener EH, 2005. Competition between farmed and wild salmon: The Japanese salmon market. Agr Econ 33: 333-340. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0864.2005.00072.x
Balassa B, 1965. Trade liberalisation and 'revealed' comparative advantage. The Manchester School of Economics and Social Studies 33: 99-123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9957.1965.tb00050.x
Blázquez-Lidoy J, Rodríguez J, Santiso J, 2006. ¿Ángel o demonio? Los efectos del comercio chino en los países de América Latina. Revista de la Cepal 90:17-43.
Bojnec S, 2001. Trade and revealed comparative advantage measures: Regional and Central and East European agricultural trade. Eastern Eur Econ 39(2): 72-98.
Chudnovsky D, Porta F, 1990. La competitividad internacional. Principales cuestiones conceptuales y metodológicas. CENIT, DT 3, Buenos Aires. 125 pp.
Dawson PJ, 2005. Agricultural exports and economic growth in less developed countries. Agr Econ 33: 145-152. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2005.00358.x
FAO, 2000. Étude des principaux marchés européens de la datte et du potentiel commercial des varietés non traditionnelles. Groupe des Produits Horticoles, Service des Matières Premières et des Produits Tropicaux et Horticoles, Division des Produits et du Commerce International, Rome. 54 pp.
Fertö I, Hubbard L, 2003. Revealed comparative advantage and competitiveness in Hungarian agri-food sectors. World Econ 26(2): 247-259. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9701.00520
GI Fruit, 2008. The sector of dates in Tunisia. Groupement Interporfessionel des Fruits, Tunisie. Available in http://www.gifruit.nat.tn/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=114 [January 2014].
Jemni M, Otón M, Ramirez JG, Artés-Hernández F, Chaira N, Ferchichi A, Artés F, 2014. Conventional and emergent sanitizers decreased Ectomyelois ceratoniae infestation and maintained quality of date palm after shelf-life. Postharvest Biol Technol 87: 33-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2013.08.002
Jepma CJ, 1986. Extensions and application possibilities of the constant market shares analysis. Rijkusiniversiteit, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Laajimi A, Thabet B, Ben Said M, 2012. Une lecture dans la politique agricole et alimentaire en Tunisie: Pour une nouvelle vision. New Medit 2: 24-28.
Lafay G, 1992. The measurement of revealed comparative advantages. In: International trade modeling (Dagenais MG & Muet PA, eds.), Chapman & Hill, London. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2150-8_10
Liesner HH, 1958. The European common market and British industry. Econ J 68: 302-316. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2227597
Likhayo P, Olubayo F, Ngatia C, 2014. Methyl bromide alternatives for maize grain storage in Kenya. Int J Sci Res 7(3): 2348-2352.
Liu P, 2003. The marketing potential of date palm fruits in the European market. FAO, Rome. 18 pp.
Martínez-Sánchez A, 1994. Competitividad internacional en el sector de telecomunicaciones. Cuadernos de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales 27:129-137.
Oldersma H, Van Bergeijk PAG, 1993. Not so constant! The constant market share analysis and the exchange rate. Economist 14: 380-401. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01717406
Omoregie EM, Thomson KJ, 2001. Measuring regional competitiveness in oilseeds production and processing in Nigeria: a spatial equilibrium modelling approach. Agr Econ 26: 281-294. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2001.tb00070.x
Porter M E, 1990. The competitive advantage of nations. Macmillan, London. 896 pp.
PNUMA, 1992. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. United Nations Environment Programme, 47 pp. Available in: http://ozone.unep.org/new_site/en/montreal_protocol.ph. [January 2014].
Rached Z, Ali-Salmi A, Khaldi R, 2012. Les performances techniques des dattes biologiques et conventionnelles en Tunisie: Cas de la région de Hezoua. New Medit 13: 50-58.
Richardson JD, 1971a. Constant market shares analysis of export growth. J Int Econ 1: 227-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-1996(71)90058-4
Richardson JD, 1971b. Some sensitivity tests for a constant market shares analysis of export growth. Rev Econ Stat 53: 300-304. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1937978
Siddiq M, Aleid SM, Kader AA, 2013. Dates: postharvest sciences, processing technology and health benefits. Wiley-Blackwell. 326 pp.
Soliman SS, Ahmed-Ali B, Mohamed-Ahmed MM, 2003. Genetic comparisons of Egyptian date palm cultivars (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by RAPD-PCR. Afr J Biotechnol 2(4): 86-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.5897/AJB2003.000-1017
Tyszynski H, 1951. World trade in manufactured commodities, 1899-1950. Manch Sch Econ Soc 19: 222-304.
Vollrath TL, 1991. A theoretical evaluation of alternative trade intensity measures of revealed competitive advantage. Weltwirtsch Arch 130: 265-279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02707986
Widodo T, 2009. Comparative advantage: theory, empirical measures and case studies. Rev Econ Bus Stud 4: 57-82.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the printed and online versions of this Journal are the property of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.
All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a “Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International” (CC BY 4.0) License. You may read here the basic information and the legal text of the license. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 License must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the published by the Editor, is not allowed.
