Tunisia develops digital maps to optimize fertilizer use

The Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries launched a national soil sampling campaign and a fertilization rationalization program in 2025.

These initiatives led to the creation of an interactive national map showing available phosphorus, a digital database of soil fertility, and a platform to map fertilizer doses. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) led the sampling campaign through the SoilFER-VACS project.

Workers collected approximately 3,200 soil samples across the country to create high-resolution digital maps. These tools aim to help farmers apply fertilizer more precisely based on specific regional needs and to identify priority zones for the 2026-2027 agricultural season. The ministry intends to use this data to manage land fertility scientifically and adjust fertilizer subsidies to match actual field requirements.

Officials say these measures will help reduce costs and protect food sovereignty while supporting the current agricultural season, which covers roughly 971,000 hectares of cereal crops.