RECURSOS HUMANOS

level but dropped, like all other yields, from

onwards.

It is likely that the published soft wheat yields were more accurate than the hard wheat yields because they were produced by the modern Tunisian farmers. But considerable underestimation is likely, particularly after independence and in the 1 9 6 0's.

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2.3 Wheat Area and Total Agricultural Land; Now and Future Plans, The two nationwide agricultural censuses of 19^9/50 and I9 6I/ 6 2

give the most accurate picture available of the area of wheat within the context of the total agricultural area of Tunisia, The total area of agricultural land, excluding non-productive land, dropped slightly from 1949/50 to 1961/62, Table 2, and the Table 2 . Evolution of Crop Areas in Tunisia 1949/50 to 1961/62:

(* 000 h a . ). sources Pissaloux, 1955 s P» 550 and Plan, 1 9 6 2, p.8 9*

Crop I9L9 / 5 0 1 9 6 1 / 6 2

*Arable Land 3 ,422.6 3,518.0

Permanent Natural Grassland 102.3

3,2 5 0 . 0

Pasture 3 >558.9

Vines and Fruit Trees 9 2 9 . 6 992.0

Total Agricultural Land 8,013.4 7,760.0

Forest and Woodland 6 8 0 , 1 1,240.0

Total Productive Land 8,6 9 3 . 5 9,0 0 0 . 0

*Arable Land

Cereals (winter) 2,042.0 1,810.0

Hard Wheat 8 0 9 . 0 1,042.0

Soft Wheat 335.0 148.0

Barley 907.0 585.0

Oats and others 5 1 . 0 35.0

Vegetables (dry) 94.0 8 0 . 0

Market Garden 20,4 3 1 . 0

Forrage Crops 37.0 35.0

Oil Producing & Industrial Crops 15.6 8 . 0

Arable Land in Production 2,248.4 1,963.0

Fallow 1 ,194.2 1,555.0

Total Arable Land 3,442. 6 3,518.0

percentage of this land under arable rose slightly from ^3%

to 45$.

The total area of wheat remained static but the area under hard wheat grew at the expense of the soft wheats. The total

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cereal area declined and the area under fallow increased. But the change in ratio of cereals to fallow may be deceptive be­ cause south of the Dorsale, where, in I9 6I/6 2, 60% of the hard wheat, half of the soft wheat and most of the barley was grown (Plan, 1 9 6 2, p. 3 6), the area sown and the fallow area fluctuate very widely. In a poorish climatic year, such as 1 9 6 1/6 2, the

fallow area is above average. However, in round figures, one can say that cereals occupy 25% of all agricultural land in Tunisia and the greater part of this area is accounted for by hard and soft wheat. By area hard wheat is the single most important crop in Tunisia.

According to current planning policy in Tunisia the area under cereals is to be reduced overall although the area under soft wheat is to be considerably increased; Table 3*

Table 3 . Planned Evolution of Cereal Area in North Tunisia? 1961/62 to 1971/72, ('000 ha.)

source; Plan, 1962, p. 36 & Wheat, 1970? P* 2 Cereal Crop 1 9 6 1 / 6 2 1971/72

Hard Wheat 620.5 I7 8.O

Soft Wheat 7 9 . 7 *1-25.0

Secondary Cereals 218.8 1*1-7 » 0

Total 9I9 .O 750.0

In the LMV the only recent census of the cereal area, in

1 9 6 8/6 9, estimated that of the 2 5 2 , 5 0 0 ha. of cultivated land

85,000 ha. (OMVVM, 1970, p. 3 2c p. 9) were occupied by cereals; with 5 2 , 0 0 0 ha. under hard wheat and 9 , 0 0 0 ha. under soft wheat, This area, based on crop suitability maps as well as a partial census, may be very misleading. So too may be the figures in the four year plan prepared for the OMVVM development of the non-irrigable area* 1969-1972. According to this the current area of wheat, L8 , 0 0 0 ha. is to be reduced by 1 9 7 9 / 1 9 8 0 to

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27,000 ha, (OMVVM, I9 6 9, p. 53) while at the same time increas­ ing total production by nearly 50$. The table of estimated prod­ uction year by year shows an even and steady increase in yield from 8 ql/ha. to 15 ql/ha. for hard wheat and lOql/ha. to

25 ql/ha. for soft wheat. This is dangerously optimistic, part­ icularly for the hard wheats, making no allowance for the effects of climate on yield and aiming for a mean considerably above

what the better French farmers even achieved. It is probable that if the planned reduction in the area of hard wheat is ach­ ieved, itself not likely in the near future, production will drop accordingly.

The situation with regard to soft wheat is rather more hopeful because of the recent successful introduction of high yielding varieties of Mexican soft wheats.

The Mexican Wheat Programme began in 19 6 7 / 6 8 when yields from 32 experimental farms in northern Tunisia (Wheat, 1969B, p. 5) averaged 26.4 ql/ha,; 5 ql/ha. above the control Tunisian wheat. The areas sown in the following two years weres

I9 6 8 / 6 9 1 2 , 0 0 0 ha.

1 9 6 9 / 7 0 54,000 ha.

The planned area of 141,000 ha. for 1 9 6 9 / 7 0 was not ach­ ieved because of the confusion and uncertainty caused by the reversal of the cooperative policy in September 1 9 6 9*

According to the Plan the area under Mexican wheat will have extended to 425,000 ha. by I9 7I/ 7 2 (Wheat, 1970, p. 2) and production will be sufficient to cover the country's wheat

requirements. Meanwhile new Mexican varieties of hard wheat are to be introduced.

cultivation, yields were very good (average about 20 ql/ha,) in spite of mediocre climatic conditions and a very poor stan­ dard o f .cultivation practice resulting from the excessive rains of October and December I96 9 and the confusion when the coop­ erative policy was reversed.

If as the area under Mexican wheat expands the yields are maintained at about 20 ql/ha, the deficit of soft wheat should

indeed be made good. However it must be remembered that the Mexican wheats, even more than F/A, are extremely demanding; they yield well only if the cultivation practice is of a high standard. In I9 6 9/7O some farms returned yields of well under

10 ql/ha.

There is also the danger, as with F/A, of these wheats exhausting soils of medium quality; soils which will have to be used if the planned area of ^2 5 , 0 0 0 ha. is achieved.

One advantage of the Mexican wheats is that they were developed, initially, to be grown under irrigation. Room is being found for them within the irrigation perimeters in Tun­ isia where they are yielding, at their best, up to ^0 - 5 0 ql/ha.

31