Dairy farmers say they can’t buy fodder as milk disappears from grocery shelves in Tunis

Milk is now on the list of essential food items including flour and sugar that Tunisian shoppers can’t find at local grocery stores. Markets across Tunisia are witnessing a noticeable shortage of milk as fears grow that the supply will dwindle further. Director of livestock at the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries, Manwar Al-Saghiri, told A24 that the rise in fodder prices is due to other global crises. Al-Saghir said global crises affecting fodder prices include Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, and a drought in southern Europe. He added that some cattle breeders smuggled cows to Algeria, another reason for the 20-30% decline in milk production. In an interview with A24, cow breeder Ibrahim Badr said there is no clear government strategy to support his industry. Badr added that high prices of fodder and soaring production costs could lead to a collapse of production.