The Problem: A Costly Dependency
In Tunisia, sheep farming is a major pillar of the rural and agricultural economy, involving around 274,000 farmers concentrated mainly in the Northwest, Center, and Sahel regions. Yet the sector faces a critical structural challenge: animal feed now accounts for 60–80% of total production costs, driven by heavy reliance on imported concentrates (soy, corn, nutritional additives), the seasonality and scarcity of local forage resources, and feed prices that have sometimes doubled in recent periods.
These pressures are shrinking flocks and pushing some farmers out of the activity altogether, while squeezing farm profitability, raising sheep meat prices nationally, weakening rural households economically and socially, and adding pressure to national food security.
The Solution: Compound Feed from Local Agricultural By-Products
OVIMERA develops and brings to market a compound feed for sheep, formulated from agricultural residues and by-products sourced mainly from Tunisia's oasis and olive-growing regions. The formulation is built around date rejects and dried palm residue from the oases, coarse olive by-products from oil processing, local fibrous agricultural matter, cereals available on the domestic market, and locally produced rapeseed meal used as a partial or full substitute for imported soy. These raw materials are industrially processed — milled, dried, cleaned, dosed, mixed, and pelleted — into a homogeneous granulated feed, packaged in 50 kg bags for easy storage, transport, and use by farmers. The goal is a balanced, stable, and affordable feed that meets sheep's essential nutritional needs while optimizing production costs.
Impact
- Economic — lowers sheep production costs, improves farm profitability, and creates a new local agricultural value-added chain
- Social — sustains rural livelihoods, reduces farmers' economic vulnerability, and stabilizes agricultural communities
- Environmental — valorizes agricultural waste, reduces the carbon footprint linked to imports, and promotes sustainable farming practices
- Food security — supports the stability of national sheep meat production and supply
This work contributes to five UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action).
Key Stakeholders Technical experts: Mr. Taha Najjar (INAT) on animal nutrition, and Ms. Marwa Bettaieb (Sidi Thabet) on veterinary health testing
- Raw material suppliers : local agricultural cooperatives and oasis producers, and local rapeseed suppliers
- Industrial partners : processing and pelleting plants, and packaging suppliers
- Institutional partners : Ministry of Agriculture, Office of Livestock and Pastures (OEP), and APII
- Agricultural partners : cooperatives (SMSA) for distribution, and associations (Al-Nakhil) for farmer training
- End users : small and medium sheep farmers operating semi-extensive and extensive systems across rural Tunisia
Our Vision
OVIMERA aims to build a resilient, locally rooted feed supply chain that frees Tunisian sheep farming from costly imports — turning overlooked agricultural residues into an affordable, sustainable resource, and setting a model for circular, climate-smart livestock production across the region.