L’élevage laitier hors-sol en Tunisie: Difficultés actuelles et incertitudes pour l’avenir (cas de Boumerdes- le Sahel tunisien)
New Medit, vol 10, n.1, (March 2011), pp. 58-64
Language: FR
Jel classification: Q120, Q130
Off-land milk production is usually practised in small family-run farms with limited land. These farms are not only located in the peri-urban areas surrounding Tunis and the Cap bon and Bizerte regions but also in central and southern (coastline) Tunisia. The development of these activities into new areas with limited forage resources is encouraged by the government through aid programmes, that support and promote the whole chain, and also by new service cooperatives, milk collection centres and milk industries. The main goal is to satisfy the increasing demand for milk and milk-derivatives in the urban and tourist areas. Dairy farms in the new areas have allowed to diversify the farming activities and to ensure a constant source of income for farmers and their families. However, despite satisfactory organisational and financial performances, this sector is still fragile and linked to external sectors (mainly food supply). Its sustainability results from various constraints such as the availability or lack of self-produced forage, the increase of prices and the inconsistent supply of roughages and concentrates in the market.
off-land milk farming, forage resources, dependence, performance, sustainability
