APIP Agricultural Policy Implementation Project

orchids, gladioli and tulips are the major imports. The French market demands
high quality, though even second quality Moroccan roses have found a sizable
market. It appears that gladioli may be an important niche market for Tunisian
growers. Gladioli are heavy flowers and Tunisia may have a significant
geographical advantage given the shipping costs inherent in gladioli transport.
THE TUNISIAN CUT FLOWER MARKETING SECTOR
The Tunisian cut flower marketing sector isdivided into two segments. The
first consists of producers who grow flowers exclusively for the domestic market.
The second consists of a small group who produce primarily for the export market.
Domestic Marketing Segment
Domestic cut flower marketing isdominated by two large producers who sell
only in Tunisia. Their principal clients are tourist hotels, restaurants,
embassies and small retailers inTunis. Though the number of Tunis retailers has
increased in the past five years, producers do not see the domestic market as a
source of significant growth in the future.
Export Marketing Segment
This study identified only 5 active producer/exporters of cut flowers in
Tunisia. Growers are in an experimental stage, trying different varieties,
production systems and marketing arrangements. These producer/exporters depend
heavily on European partners and contacts for production techniques and market
information. Inexperienced labor means that time consuming on-the-job training
is required from the earliest stage of production all the way through the
postharvest handling and distribution stages.
Export marketing strategies are closely tied to the type and level of
foreign involvement in these enterprises. In most cases the European partners
or contacts guarantee the sale of all production at a price fixed at the beginning
of the planting season. This appears to be an effective strategy. Those
Tunisian growers who have no European partner find that their production
decisions are not well coordinated with market requirements.
COSTS AND RETURNS TO CUT FLOWER PRODUCTION FOR EXPORT
Enterprise budgets for three important cut flowers -- roses, carnations,
and gladioli -- were prepared in order to assist growers in analyzing factors
affecting the profitability of producing alterative crop intheir own operations.
Growers need guidelines to organize and plan the combination of crops they choose
to produce, and enterprise budgets can help growers understand the factors
affecting costs and possibly construct budgets for their own operations. Growers
may have difficulty estimating their costs due to:
inexperience with cost calculation methods,
absence of published recommended guidelines on cut flower
production, and
ii