Tunisia - President Kais Saied met on Monday at Carthage Palace with Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, Ezzeddine Ben Cheikh and Secretary of State to the Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries in charge of Water, Hamadi Lahbib, and discussed several issues, including the water situation, fodder and seeds.

The Head of State was quoted in a presidency statement as saying that the water situation in Tunisia was «abnormal» because the shortage was not the result of rainfall or drought, but of years of neglect in the maintenance of distribution networks and dams. «This is compounded by criminal acts aimed at inflaming social conditions, as judicial investigations in several regions of the republic have shown.»

He added: «It is no coincidence that the situation has reached its current state a few weeks before the scheduled date of the presidential elections".

The President of the Republic also referred to the Fodder Board, which was created to avoid monopolisation by a limited and known number of people.

He emphasised the need to ensure that this Board achieves the objectives for which it was created, first and foremost to put an end to monopolisation and to preserve the wealth of the livestock sector and limit the unacceptable rise in prices.

On the other hand, the Head of State emphasised the need to preserve local seeds adapted to Tunisian nature, as imported seeds, which can bring quick profits, can mortgage agricultural wealth to parties that control it from afar.

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