Five hundred years before our era, Peaches was already present in China. It was there symbol of fruitfulness and immortality. It crossed Persia, arrived as far as Egypt, where it was the fruit of Harpocrate, god of silence. It ends up probably arriving to North Africa with the Arab conquest. There, one cultivates it from now on since the Middle Ages.

In Tunisia, the principal production zones of Peaches are North and the Center, primarily Manouba and Ben Arous in North, and Mehdia and Sfax in the Center.
The production is in continuous progression what offers good prospects to export. The increase meaning in the production is the result of the introduction of new early and late varieties and the development of the existing varieties. Thus, the range of the cultivated varieties is very wide, it is capable to offer Peaches during 3 to 4 months. The shifts of maturity between areas prolong the calendar of production. The varieties with yellow flesh begin the season and dominate the early phase.

In Tunisia of the center and south, maturity starts starting from the end of April for the early varieties. The work of selection realized by the obtenteurs brought much progress these last years. In new production zones of the south, the plantations of Peaches and nectarines offer an early production and of quality.

As in the other production zones, the producers take care to apply best the farming techniques and to carry out a follow-up plant health of most rigorous; the whole in a concern for a total respect of the medical and environmental standards. Stations of conditioning are installed near the orchards to ensure a fast treatment.

Peaches of Tunisia are exported towards several destinations in Europe and in the countries of the Gulf.

Early varieties:

According to the evolution of the tendencies and needs, new varietal introductions to Peaches early were carried out; Flordastar, Seville, Early Maycrest, Springcrest, Springlady, Royal Glory, Rich Lady. The list proposed below includes/understands the varieties the most cultivated by our nurserymen.

Varieties of Peaches to white flesh:

* Orion: it is a productive variety. The fruit is average (160 G). The skin red dark is pigmented. Greenish white pulp is very sweetened. The fruits mature at the end of April at the beginning of May.
* Maravilha: The fruit is of average gauge. The skin is red dark on 90% of the surface. Pulp is white; it presents a tendency to mature before on the apex. The flesh is not detached well a core, it is semi-adherent.
The fruits mature 2-3 days before Springtime between the 25 and on May 30th.
* Springtime: vigorous and productive variety. The fruit is small. The skin is white greenish with one on brilliant red color on the majority of surface. Pulp is white with red veins, rather hard, adherent with the core; savor is poor. The core average or small, is lengthened. The fruits mature in general between 1st and on June 7th.

Time of maturation of the early varieties of Peaches to white flesh:

Month	April		May						June
Days	25	30	5	10	15	20	25	30	5	10
Orion
Maravilha
Springtime

Varieties of Peaches to yellow flesh:

*San pedro: The fruit is average with large; the skin is covered with red on more than 30% of the surface. Compactness is average; the flesh is semi-adherent. Time of maturation: the fruits mature about the from May 15th to 20th.
* Flordastar: the fruit is red and the pulp of sweetened taste. The fruits mature between the 20 May 25th. In littoral zone, it makes it possible to produce earliest Peaches the early products.
* Seville: vigorous and productive variety. Its fruit of average gauge to rather large is red on 60% of the surface striated on sharp yellow bottom with orange. It matures of the beginning at semi May. Slightly later than Flordastar, it makes it possible to widen the production of the fruits early products in the littoral zones.
* Queen Crest: very productive variety. Its fruit of rather large gauge is coloured of red on 90% of the surface striated on yellow green bottom with orange. The fruit is of round form, regular, of coloring comparable with that of the variety May Crest, gustatory quality is good.
Time of maturation: the fruits mature about on June 10th. This variety is interesting by its precocity which makes it possible to more widen the production of Peaches in the littoral zones and the valleys of north.
* May Crest: the fruit is average or semi small `but large if his strong precocity is considered), round, resistant to handling and transport. The skin yellowish, is amply covered by one on red color brilliant and moderated on almost all surface. Pulp is yellow with red veins, closes, of good savor. May Crest represents as a whole the best variety with yellow pulp compared to its precocity of maturation. Time of maturation: the fruits mature about on June 15th.
* Spring Crest: very vigorous variety. The fruit is average, round, with the slightly hollow apex. The skin is yellow with one on brilliant red color stained and striped on all surface. Pulp is very firm, with the free semi core. Savor is good. The fruit matures about on June 20th.
* Spring Lady: variety presenting a fruit attracting of round form, regular, of good coloring and gustatory good quality. The fruit matures towards and on June 25th.

Time of maturation of the early varieties with yellow flesh

Month	May					June
Days	10	15	20	25	30	5	10	15	20	25	30
San Pedro
Flordastar
Queen Crest
May Crest
Spring Crest
Spring Lady

Written by Mediatix

Monday, 15 December 2008

Fish raw (food value for 100g) water: 88,87 G total ashes: 0,43 G fibers: 1,5 G glucids: 9,54 G simple sugars: 8,39 G proteins: 0,91 G trace elements potassium: 190 Mg phosphorus: 20 Mg magnesium: 9 Mg iron: 250 µg copper: 68 µg zinc: 17 µg vitamins vitamin C: 6.600 µg B1 vitamin: 24 µg B2 vitamin: 31 µg B5 vitamin: 153 µg B6 vitamin: 25 µg B9 vitamin: 0 µg vitamin a: 326 UI rétinol: 0 µg vitamin E: 0,73 µg fatty-acids saturated: 19 Mg mono-unsaturates: 67 Mg poly-unsaturates: 86 Mg   A refreshing fruit Refreshing and moderately energetics, fishing is integrated perfectly into the estival food. It indeed has properties réhydratantes and refreshing appreciated, thanks to its high content in water, with its content limited of sugars and the presence of organic acids in balanced proportions. Not too many calories Fishing constitutes a dessert or one “in case” light, completely compatible with the food-thinness and the research of the form: 40 kcalories to 100 G only, is for an average fruit (120 to 140 G Net) 48 to 56 kcalories… Very reasonable! Well tolerated fibers Consumed ripe at point, fishing is a fruit tolerated particularly well: its fibers are then very tender, and act on the intestines with softness and effectiveness. It besides for this reason that very the young children and even the babies can very early consume poached and crushed fishing, or is even mixed raw. A fruit of summer rich in vitamin C and provitamin has An average fishing provides 8 to 10 Mg of vitamin C, that is to say approximately 10 to 12% of the advised daily contribution: appreciable! The pigments flavonoïdes (abundant in coloured fishings of red) still improve the action of the vitamin C, and increase the resistance of the small blood capillaries. A quite useful effect the summer, when the sun and heat put at severely tested the circulatory system. Another interesting vitamin contribution: that of provitamin has, or carotene (essential to the good state of the skin, cellular antioxydant, and probably factor of protection anti-cancer). If one chooses a variety with yellow flesh, a fishing is enough to cover 50% of the advised daily contribution (and 15% for a variety with white flesh). Finally fishing, like the other fresh fruit and vegetables, takes part in the remineralisation of the organization (with in particular, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron provided in considerable quantities). It also helps with the rebalancing of the internal medium, since its metabolism is accompanied by the release of alkaline compounds (which are opposed to the influence often too acidifying of the current food). With an energy contribution of 40 kcalories (167 kJoules), fishing belongs to the moderately heating fruits. It indeed contains 87% of water, small quantities of proteins and lipids, and only 9% of glucids, or sugars (this last rate tending to increase a little in the later varieties). These glucids are made up in great majority by saccharose (more of the 3/4 of the total). One finds also fructose and glucose there (approximately 1/10 of the total for each one), and of the rarer sugar traces (pentosans and sorbitol in particular). These sugars are responsible, of course, of the sweetened savor of fishing.