From the oasis of the Tunisian desert comes the 2025 harvest of Deglet Nour, with each fruit selected by hand to maintain tradition and quality.
From the oasis of the Tunisian desert comes the 2025 harvest of Deglet Nour, selecting each fruit by hand to maintain tradition and quality.
In southern Tunisia, on the arid lands of the Great Erg, date palms grow in oases. The desert soil appears barren, but underground layers harbour water that nourishes these large plants. In this extreme landscape, nature balances with human wisdom, and from this symbiosis comes one of the most prized fruits of the Maghreb: the Deglet Nour, which means “finger of light” in Arabic.
All Deglet Nour dates sold by El Monaguillo originate in Tunisia. The macroclimatic conditions of the Tunisian oasis, where the Mediterranean sun caresses the tops of the palm trees while their roots drink from fresh, pure groundwater, produce a fruit with an incomparable flavour and perfect texture. El Monaguillo works with producers in the Kebili palm grove for both Deglet Nour dates on the branch and natural Deglet Nour dates, renowned for the excellence of their fruit.
When ripe, the Deglet Nour is a golden, translucent and shiny date with a sweet and slightly honeyed flavour. Its thin skin, softness and balance between sugar and moisture make it a unique product, appreciated all over the world. The harvest begins in mid-October and lasts for around a month. During this period, farmers work with precision craftsmanship to ensure that the fruit meets the standards of excellence that El Monaguillo demands in all its selections.
Date harvesting in Tunisia is a manual task that combines tradition and physical effort. The process begins when the fruits change colour from green to brown and become slightly soft to the touch. From there, workers climb the palm trees, which can reach up to ten metres in height, using belts or ropes. Once at the top, they carefully cut the ripe clusters to prevent the fruit from being bruised or damaged. In Tunisia, there is no mechanised harvesting. In order to mechanise harvesting, the palm groves must be adapted for this purpose, and since most of them are quite old, this is not the case. Approximately 100 kilograms of dates are harvested from each palm tree.
After harvesting, the fruits are left to dry in the desert sun. This natural process allows the dates to concentrate their sweetness, acquire their characteristic texture and reach their optimum point of preservation before packaging or export.
The 2025 harvest promises to be one of the most outstanding in recent years. Thanks to favourable conditions during flowering and better resource management in the oases, results are expected to exceed those of 2024, a season marked by one of the lowest yields and poorest quality in recent decades.
However, the season has also faced challenges. Late rains and high temperatures during the ripening period affected the quality of some batches, reducing the proportion of premium-grade dates. Even so, careful selection at source and improvements in drying and storage have made it possible to maintain the high quality standard that characterises Tunisian Deglet Nour dates and which El Monaguillo defends as its hallmark.
In the southern oases, dates are not just a crop: they are the heart of the economy, the soul of the culture and a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity. Each cluster harvested is the fruit of generations of knowledge and a unique relationship between man and the desert.
At El Monaguillo, we share this sustainable vision, supporting a production model that protects the natural environment and values the work of local communities, ensuring that each date preserves its essence and history.
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