Masterclass dedicated to dried tomatoes will be held on February 14 at the Académie des Chefs, with the support of the Project for Market Access of Typical Agrofood Products (PAMPAT). This event will offer an opportunity to discover the various uses of dried tomatoes, through interactive culinary demonstrations. A producer will also be on hand to explain the production process, and a nutritionist will share the benefits of this local product with a thousand virtues, according to a press release issued by the organisers. "Tomato production and processing represents a very important agri-food sector in Tunisia. In terms of production, Tunisia is ranked among the top 10 tomato processing countries in the world. The tomato sector employs around 10,000 farmers and covers an area of 20,000 hectares," according PAMPAT website. "The production of dried tomatoes is rapidly developing in Tunisia and shows a great dynamism. Industrial drying is a rather recent economic activity, but it has been expanding quickly and has seen its annual production rise to an average of 6,000 tonnes in recent years," the same source says, specifying that "in Tunisia there are more than twenty structured enterprises and a large number of production facilities that belong to the informal sector." "Dried tomatoes rank 3rd among the most important products in the Tunisian canned food sector, after tomato concentrate and harissa. Today, processing of dried tomatoes is an export-oriented activity." Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse