The great comeback.

On the road from Tunis to Tabarka in the north, we came across a large meeting of peasant farmers. Which Presidential candidate would the farmers endorse for the forthcoming elections, I asked them. "Ben Ali of course," said the leader. "Why?" He laughed at my stupidity. "Because he is our son. He understands our needs and he cares about us."

Over the decade between 1987 to 1997, the amount of arable land under irrigation doubled to 350,000 hectares, average annual production increased by 35%, capital formation grew by 137% to D5bn, short-term credits tripled to D470m and investment credit rose from D232m to D558m.

"The farmers love Ben Ali because he has given them back their self respect," says Abdelbaki Bacha, President of the Tunisian Union for Farmers and Fishermen (UTAP). "They have responded with production performances that sometimes border on the miraculous."

Despite occasional droughts, Tunisia is self sufficient in cereals, edible oils, vegetables, milk and dairy products. "If we had retained our former dietary habits," says Bacha, "we would have been self-sufficient in meat as well." He explained: "In the old days meat was eaten only once or twice a week. Now look at all those roadside cafes selling roasted meat. And here in the country, people don't ask for a plate of meat, they want a kilo!"

Tunisians are certainly well fed. The average calorie intake internationally is 2,700 calories; in Africa it is 2,100; in rich countries it comes in between 3,300 and 3,600 calories. The average in Tunisia is 3,500.

The farmers' union can trace its origins back to the early days of the struggle against colonialism. The movement started as a collection of disjointed organisations but when the French seized the most productive land and drove the indigenes to the margins, it became imperative to unite. Today the union has some 200,000 members.

Although Tunisia gained independence in 1956, some 800,000 hectares of prime land still lay in the hands of French settlers. "We continued to agitate because we wanted our land back," says Bacha. Finally, on 12 May 1964, the land was nationalised and the large commercial farms were run by the state. Every anniversary of this date is occasion for a huge celebration by farmers. The President gives out prizes and awards and uses the occasion to sound out opinions.

"The farmers have a deep respect for the President because before he makes any major decision, he always calls for a congress and listens to all shades of opinion," adds Bacha. "Ben Ali has always considered agriculture as an important strategic sector and he is treating it as such."

Economies of scale

One such instance was the question of the ownership of the nationalised land. There was considerable pressure on the government to sell the land to private holdings. After comprehensive discussions, Ben Ali came to the decision that the land would remain state property but that the exploitation of the land would be turned over to the private sector.

According to Bacha, the biggest problem facing the Tunisian farmer today is the small size of his holding - largely as a result of inheritance practices. "This is a sensitive issue and we are trying to handle it very delicately," he adds. The lessons from the attempts at forced collectivisation in the 1960s have been well learnt. "We are now trying to persuade people to willingly come together so they can benefit from the economies of scale."

In the meanwhile, following scores of Presidential measures and generous grants for good farming practice over the last dozen years, the Tunisian smallholder has become as productive as it is possible given the size of his holding.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of sitting down to a table groaning under a delicious variety of seafood will realise the importance fisheries play in Tunisian life. Yet a decade and a half ago, the country was in danger of losing its fish stocks as a result of rampant overfishing. "The sector is now tightly controlled," says Bacha, "and fish stocks are plentiful." After The Change, the government resisted all temptation to allow foreign fleets to trawl its waters. "This means that we are now in a position to considerably increase our exports and gain on the value addition," observes Bacha. "Whatever the future brings, we know one thing: with Ben Ali at the helm, the country's agriculture and fisheries are in good hands."