Tunisia doubles phosphate output in first quarter, targets 5.5 mln T in 2022

Tunisia's phosphate production doubled to 1.3 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the same period last year, a senior official in state-run Gafsa Phosphate told Reuters on Sunday.

Gasfa Phosphate aims to produce 5.5 million tonnes of phosphate this year compared to 3.7 million tonnes last year, said Rafaa Nssib, production manager.

The North Africa country seeks to regain its position as a leading exporter to take advantage of sharp increase in fertilizer prices due to the war in Ukraine.

Tunisia was once one of the world's largest producers of phosphate minerals, which are used to make fertilisers, but its market share fell after 2011 revolution.

Since then, localised protests and strikes have steadily cut into production and caused billions of dollars in losses.

Raising the production and export of phosphate would provide valuable boost to Tunisia, which is suffering a financial crisis and is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Tunisia produced about 8.2 million tonnes of phosphate in 2010. That had dropped to an average of 3 million tonnes in the following years.