Libya's production of dates for the first half of this year amounted to 180,000 tons, the Director of the Palm Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, Abdul Salam al-Abani, said on Saturday.
Date production was abundant this year; most of the harvest was from the oasis region in the south, with an increase in consumption during Ramadan, Al-Abani explained.
However, he confirmed having some problems, such as partial drought as well as some pests, but according to him, these issues did not affect the production as a whole.
As for the country's exports of dates this year, the amount was estimated at 50,000 tons, with speculations that figures would reach 100,000 tons by the end of the season.
Libya has about ten million palm trees distributed across its territory, especially in the regions of Al-Jufra, Jalo, and Awjila, according to the Ministry of Agriculture's data.
The country's production of dates in the last five years amounted to 700,000 tons, at a rate of 150,000 tons annually, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
