Leguminous vegetables market in Libya

Earlier Report Observations

The market for fresh leguminous vegetables in Libya opened the period at 25 820 tons in 2018, amid criticism of chaotic vegetable markets in Tripoli due to insufficient cooling facilities and poor hygiene, leading to product losses. A spike in imports to 1 650 tons drove the market to 27 018 tons in 2019, but this proved temporary as imports fell and the market size retreated to 26 665 tons by 2020.

Market volume stabilized around 26 600 tons in 2021–2022, but faced sharp price increases for vegetables and fruits after the government ended fertilizer and urea support for farmers—a measure stemming from 2015 austerity—which squeezed consumer purchasing power. Libya’s heavy reliance on imported produce (85%) meant any international supply-chain disruption directly affected local availability. In 2022, the collapse of the Derna dam limited irrigation water, putting additional pressure on domestic vegetable production, though the leguminous vegetable market edged up to 26 834 tons.

By 2023, domestic production reached 26 280 tons while the market size settled at 26 376 tons, with imports dropping sharply to just 99 tons. In 2024, reports highlighted further price rises linked to foreign‑exchange fluctuations and higher fertilizer costs due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Concurrently, calls emerged for new cooled market infrastructure in Sirte and warnings were voiced about non‑Libyan traders dominating the market, pointing to ongoing structural challenges.

Production leguminous vegetables in Libya

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of leguminous vegetables, 2017-2020

World map of production of leguminous vegetables, 2017-2020

Libya's leguminous vegetable production has increased for the second year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 26 020 tonnes, marking a 2.6% rise from the previous year. Production hit its lowest point in 2018 at 25 333 tonnes, which also saw the largest decline of 2.8%.

Annual dynamics of production in Libya in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports leguminous vegetables from Libya

Exports in kind, t

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Libya in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Libya's leguminous vegetable exports were primarily shipped to Tunisia, which accounted for 99.6% of total exports in volume.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Libya in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Libya in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

During the 2017–2020 period, Tunisia was the nearly exclusive buyer of Libya's leguminous vegetables, representing 96.9% of total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Libya in value, 2017-2020

Imports leguminous vegetables to Libya

Imports in kind, t

The market showed significant volatility over these years. Import volumes reached their lowest point in 2017 and peaked in 2019, with a 3.5-fold difference between these extremes. In 2020, Libya imported 645 tonnes of leguminous vegetables, a sharp 60.9% decrease year-on-year. The highest volume was recorded in 2019 at 1 650 tonnes, which also saw the largest increase of 238.9%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Libya in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Tunisia was the dominant source for Libya's leguminous vegetable imports in volume, holding a 75.3% share of total flows, while the remainder was distributed across other markets.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Libya in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Market performance exhibited notable fluctuations during this period. Imports dropped to their lowest in 2018 and rose to a high in 2019, varying by 4.4 times between these years. In 2020, Libya's imports of foreign leguminous vegetables totaled 560 thousand US dollars, a 63.0% reduction from the previous year. The minimum value was 342 thousand US dollars in 2018, while the maximum was 1 512 thousand US dollars in 2019, which also experienced the largest increase of 342.0%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Libya in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Tunisia and Egypt were the primary sources for Libya's leguminous vegetable imports in value terms, together accounting for 86.3% of total flows, with the remaining share spread among other markets.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Libya in value, 2017-2020