First milk, now Coca-Cola. Supply chain and payments problem hits food production

In the latest sign of Tunisia’s financial troubles, soft drinks have joined milk as a basic grocery item that’s now hard to find on supermarket shelves. The local Coca-Cola bottling plant is reducing production.

Consumers complain they can’t buy their favorite soft drink, and workers suffer from lost pay due to reduced operating hours. Since mid-summer, Tunisian port workers witnessed a drop in the arrival of basic foodstuffs. In addition, curtailed supply chains now cut production at food manufacturing facilities. The shortage includes products such as coffee, butter, milk, and cooking oil.

Mohammed Al-Tuwaiti, a commerce ministry official, told A24 that the government is working to solve the sugar shortage and maintain market equilibrium. But in interviews with A24, manufacturers say there’s a risk of a complete shutdown of soft drinks, biscuits, and candy production.