From the start of olive tree cultivation in Tunisia, the treatment of olive fruit fly was one the primary concerns for the local farmers and producers. In the following video created by the Institute of Olive, Tunisian partner of FruitFlyNet-ii project that aims to deal with the damage caused to the olive groves by the insect, some interesting facts are represented about olive tree growing in the country:

• Since the Punic period till nowadays, the olive tree cultivation remains a culture of first importance in Tunisia.
• Among the countless Roman ruins that cover Tunisia today, the presence of oil mills attests to the great extension of olive cultivation in the southern Mediterranean region.
• In Tunisia the olive-picking season runs from November to February. Tunisia ranks among the top 6 olive producer worldwide.
• In the fields, olives are mostly harvested by hand. Harvesters are equipped with rakes or special gloves to cultivate fruit, branch by branch.
• In Tunisia almost 90% of olive cultivation is conducted under dry farming.