VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0799 3031614
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301614Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6924
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC

UNCLAS TUNIS 000799 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HAYES), EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT (PLOWDEN) 
STATE PASS USTR (BURKHEAD) AND USAID (MCCLOUD) 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/ONE (MASON), ADVOCACY CTR (TABINE), AND 
CLDP (TEJTEL AND MCMANUS) 
RABAT FOR AG ATTACHE AHMED 
CASABLANCA FOR FCS (KITSON) 
CAIRO FOR SPEAKS/O'DOWD 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHERS 
OES (SENSENEY AND LAWRENCE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIA: MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE PLEDGES 
COOPERATION 
 
REF: A. TUNIS 781 
     ¶B. STATE 107298 
     ¶C. TUNIS 757 
     ¶D. TUNIS 507 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador and Tunisian Minister of Agriculture 
Abdessalem Mansour discussed expanding bilateral agriculture 
cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
covering cereal production, dairy and meat production, and 
tree crops.  The Government of Tunisia's (GOT) top priority 
on agriculture is to become self-sufficient in grains, 
Mansour asserted.  Expanding U.S.-Tunisian cooperation on 
agriculture would help implement the goals of President 
Obama's Cairo speech as well as the Secretary's initiative on 
Partnering for Food Security.  End summary. 
 
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Room for Cooperation on a Key Economic Sector 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The Ambassador paid a courtesy call on Minister of 
Agriculture and Water Resources Abdessalem Mansour October 
¶30.  Mansour opened by summarizing Tunisia's agriculture 
sector, pointing to its key role in the Tunisian economy. 
Agriculture represents between 12 and 13 percent of GDP, and 
up to 18 percent including income from the broader 
agribusiness sector.  The sector employs between 16 and 18 
percent of Tunisia's total work force and creates 10 percent 
of exports and 10 percent of total investment. 
 
¶3. (U) Mansour explained that the Agriculture Ministry's key 
goal was self-sufficiency in cereals, particularly in the 
soft wheat used to make bread.  While Tunisia is at times a 
net exporter of durum wheat (used for pasta and couscous), 
production of soft wheat rarely meets domestic demand.  The 
Ministry seeks to expand wheat production through more 
intensive cultivation on existing plots (via irrigation) and 
by expanding wheat production into dry and marginal areas. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Mansour proposed to deepen U.S.-Tunisian 
agricultural cooperation through increased exchanges and 
technical cooperation.  He promised to submit a draft MOU to 
the Embassy in the coming weeks that would cover cereals, 
dairy and meat production, and tree crops.  Mansour also 
expressed interest in expanding U.S. investment in Tunisian 
agriculture, pointing to the potential to reach European 
markets via EU-Tunisian trade agreements currently under 
negotiation. 
 
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Comment 
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¶5. (SBU) The Ministry of Agriculture currently participates 
in USDA-sponsored training programs such as the Cochran 
Fellowship Program and the Norman Borlaug Fellowship Science 
and Technology Program.  We believe that expanding 
agricultural cooperation with Tunisia would help fulfill one 
of the goals of President Obama's June 4 Cairo speech (ref 
D), as well as the Partnering for Food Security initiative 
outlined by the Secretary in September (refs A and B).  In 
addition, agricultural cooperation is one part of the 2004 
U.S.-Tunisia Science and Technology Agreement, which the GOT 
has indicated it intends to ratify soon (ref C).  We will 
continue to report progress on this potentially important 
area of bilateral engagement.  End comment. 
 
GRAY