Summary
- Many distributors start with Tunisian dates the same way: one order, placed when stock runs low or a season approaches. It works at first, but it leaves you exposed to late arrivals, gaps in availability and rushed decisions.
- An annual supply programme turns those one-off orders into a plan: a forecast of your yearly need by season, split into scheduled shipments or call-offs, with a few points agreed in writing with your supplier.
- The programme should follow the crop year: the Deglet Nour harvest in Tunisia generally runs from October to December, and the rest of the year is covered by stored fruit.
- What to put in writing: a simple specification, pack sizes, a reference sample, lead times, the shipment calendar and how price is reviewed during the year, which is always by quote and agreed case by case.
- A programme is a living document. Review it after each shipment, adjust the next call-off, and keep storage under control on both sides.
- Start with a trial order, then build the programme from real sales. To discuss a programme for your market, request a quote or message us on WhatsApp at +216 52 146 101.
Why move from one-off orders to a programme
A one-off order is simple: you see that you need dates, you ask for a quote, you agree, the goods are prepared and shipped. For a first test in a new market, this is exactly the right approach, and our guides on requesting a quotation and building a mixed first order describe it step by step.
The difficulty appears once your customers expect Tunisian Deglet Nour on a regular basis. A wholesaler, a chain of grocery stores or a food-service customer does not want to hear that the next delivery depends on when you remembered to reorder. Each new one-off order then brings the same problems:
- the timing is reactive: you order when stock is already low, so any delay in preparation, documents or transport becomes a shortage;
- the supplier cannot plan for you: a small Tunisian supplier prepares fruit, packaging and documents more smoothly when it knows what is coming;
- seasonal peaks catch you out: Ramadan, the year-end season or a large customer promotion arrive while you are still waiting for a quote.
A supply programme does not remove the need for quotes or flexibility. It simply puts the main decisions in one place, early, so that each shipment becomes an execution step rather than a new project.
What a programme is, and what it is not
In this article, a supply programme means a written plan shared between a buyer and a supplier, covering a period (often a crop year), with an estimated total need, a calendar of shipments and the common rules that apply to all of them.
It is not necessarily a long-term contract with fixed volumes and fixed prices. How binding the forecast is, and on what conditions each call-off is confirmed, is something both sides agree in writing, case by case.
Step 1: forecast your yearly need by season
A forecast is only an estimate, but a reasoned estimate is far better than none. You do not need complex software; a simple table built from your own sales history and your customers’ plans is enough to start.
Start from what you actually sold
If you have already sold Tunisian dates, look at your sales month by month, by product form and by pack size. If you are new to the product, use the results of your trial order and the feedback from your first customers. Separate the base line (what sells every month) from the peaks (what sells around specific dates).
Identify your seasonal peaks
For most distributors of dates, a few moments concentrate demand:
- Ramadan and Eid: the strongest period in markets with Muslim consumers. Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around mid-February 2027. Our guide Planning Your Ramadan 2027 Date Stock covers that season in detail.
- The year-end season: festive baking, gift ranges and receptions in many markets, at a time when new-crop fruit is usually available.
- Wedding and event seasons: important for customers serving communities where dates are part of celebrations.
A simple forecasting table
| Period | Base line (standard dates) | Seasonal items | Notes for the plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| New-crop period (late autumn to winter) | Regular need | Branch dates for the year-end | First shipments of new-crop fruit |
| Weeks before Ramadan | Higher need | Branch dates, Arjoun for events | Goods must reach your warehouse early |
| Ramadan and Eid | Peak | Branch dates | Little room for late corrections |
| Spring | Regular need | Occasional | Stored fruit; check how it evolves |
| Summer | Often lower need | Wedding season in some markets | Pay attention to heat in transport and storage |
| Early autumn | Regular need | Preparation of the year-end | Plan the switch to the new crop |
Fill in the quantities from your own data. The table is only a structure; the numbers are yours.
Step 2: align the programme with the crop year
The Tunisian date calendar should shape your programme. Our article The Tunisian Deglet Nour Year for Importers explains it in detail; here are the points that matter for planning repeat orders.
The harvest and the new crop
The Deglet Nour harvest generally runs from October to December. New-crop fruit becomes available from late autumn. For many buyers, the start of the crop year is the natural moment to agree a programme: the fruit is fresh, the season ahead is visible, and the Ramadan peak is still a few months away.
Stored fruit for the rest of the year
From late winter onwards, supply relies on fruit stored after the harvest. Deglet Nour keeps well when it is stored correctly, but fruit in spring or summer is not exactly the same as fruit in December. Ask your supplier how the product generally evolves through the year, and decide together which shipments are better placed early in the crop year and which can come later.
Step 3: split the yearly need into shipments or call-offs
Once you have a forecast, the next question is how to deliver it. There are two common approaches, and many programmes combine them.
Scheduled shipments
The buyer and supplier agree a calendar of shipments in advance: for example one shipment ahead of the year-end, one or two ahead of Ramadan, then regular shipments spaced through the year. Each shipment has an estimated quantity and composition, confirmed a set time before preparation.
Scheduled shipments are easy to understand and to plan for both sides. They suit buyers whose sales are fairly regular.
Call-offs against a forecast
The buyer shares an annual or seasonal forecast, and then “calls off” each shipment when needed, within the framework agreed. This gives more flexibility to the buyer, but it only works if the notice period for each call-off is clear and realistic for preparation, packaging, documents and transport.
Choosing the rhythm
The right rhythm depends on several factors:
- your storage capacity: fewer, larger shipments need more space and careful rotation;
- your cash flow: each shipment has to be paid according to the terms agreed in the quote;
- transport: frequency, routes and costs, which your forwarder can advise on;
- freshness: smaller, more frequent shipments generally mean fruit that spends less time in your warehouse;
- the peaks: shipments for Ramadan must be planned backwards from the date the goods must be on your customers’ shelves.
| Approach | Best suited to | Main point to agree |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled shipments | Regular sales, predictable peaks | Calendar and confirmation date for each shipment |
| Call-offs against a forecast | Variable sales, several customers | Notice period and limits of each call-off |
| Mixed approach | Base line plus seasonal peaks | Which shipments are fixed and which are flexible |
The practical side of each shipment (Incoterms, transport modes, usual documents) is covered in Shipping Tunisian Dates: A Guide for First-Time Importers. Check the details with your forwarder and customs broker for each route.
Step 4: what to agree in writing
A programme stands or falls on the points both sides wrote down at the start. The list below covers the usual essentials. Your supplier and you decide how detailed each point needs to be.
A simple specification
Describe the product in plain words: variety (Deglet Nour), origin (in our case, the oases of Douz and Kébili in the Nefzaoua region of southern Tunisia), form (standard, branch, pitted on request, Arjoun), and the characteristics that matter to your customers: size, colour, texture, moisture, cleanliness, tolerance for minor defects described in words.
Pack sizes and marking
List the pack formats that the programme covers: bulk cartons, any retail-ready packs discussed with the supplier, carton marking, lot codes and best-before information. If you repack or sell under your own label, our guide Planning Retail Packs and Labels for Tunisian Deglet Nour explains what is usually involved; the rules of your destination market apply, so check them locally.
A reference sample
Keep a reference sample from a lot you and your customers liked, with photos and a written description. It becomes the shared point of comparison for every shipment of the programme. Our guide Evaluating Deglet Nour Samples Before a First Order explains how to prepare and keep one.
Lead times
For each shipment, write down the steps and the time each one needs: confirmation of the call-off, preparation and packing, documents, booking of transport, transit and customs clearance. Lead times should be realistic for the busiest months, not only for quiet periods.
The shipment calendar and confirmation rules
Note the planned shipments, the date by which each one must be confirmed, and what happens if the buyer needs to bring a shipment forward, postpone it or change its composition.
How price is reviewed
Date prices are not fixed for ever. They depend on the crop, the season, the form, the packaging, the Incoterm and the size and regularity of orders. Our article What Moves the Price of an Export Quote for Tunisian Deglet Nour explains those levers. In a programme, the important point is to agree how and when price is reviewed: for each shipment, for each season, or when a specific factor changes. With Azzed, prices are always set by quote and agreed case by case.
Payment terms
Each shipment of the programme is paid according to the terms agreed in the quote. Our guide Payment Terms for a First Export Order explains the common options in general; check the details with your bank.
Quality claims
Agree before the first shipment how a problem on arrival will be reported and handled: photos, lot codes, retained samples, the time limit to report. Our guide Arrival Inspection and Quality Claims for Tunisian Dates covers it. How a claim is settled is agreed in the quote.
Step 5: storage on both sides
A programme moves part of the planning upstream, and storage becomes a shared question. Fruit for later shipments generally has to be kept somewhere between harvest and packing: ask your supplier, in general terms, how it is kept and checked before each shipment.
On your side, the programme determines how much stock you hold at any time. Dates generally keep best in a cool, dry place, away from strong odours and direct heat, in closed packaging, with careful first-in, first-out rotation. Our guide Storing Deglet Nour Dates in Your Warehouse sets out the principles.
Step 6: review the programme after each shipment
The most useful habit in a supply programme is a short review after each delivery. It takes little time and prevents the plan from drifting away from reality.
What to look at
- Arrival: was the shipment on time, in good condition, matching the specification and the reference sample?
- Sales: how fast did each form and pack size sell? Did any item run out or move slowly?
- Customers: what did your retailers, wholesalers or chefs say?
- Stock: how much is left, and how old is it?
- Next shipment: does its quantity or composition need to change?
Sharing the review
Send a short summary to your supplier: what worked, what did not, what you would like to adjust. A small supplier can only adapt if it knows. In return, ask for any information on the fruit available for the next shipments, so that both sides plan with the same picture.
Start with a trial order
A programme is built on experience, not on assumptions. Before committing to a yearly plan, most distributors are better served by a trial order that tests the fruit, the packaging, the documents and the transport route.
Azzed is a local Tunisian Deglet Nour brand. We are still building our export activity and we focus on small and mid-sized buyers: importers, distributors, wholesalers of moderate size and retailers. We study every request, and all our products are supplied by quote.
A realistic path looks like this:
- Request samples of the forms you are considering and test them with a few customers.
- Place a trial order, often mixed: standard dates as the base, branch dates for presentation, pitted dates if a customer needs them.
- Inspect the shipment on arrival and record what you find.
- Sell it through and measure: which forms, which packs, which customers.
- Draft a simple programme for the rest of the crop year: forecast, calendar, specification, pack sizes, reference sample, lead times and price review.
- Discuss it with us and agree the points in the quote.
Our article Sourcing Tunisian Deglet Nour as a Small Importer lists the questions worth asking a supplier at this stage.
Common mistakes with supply programmes
Forecasting from hope rather than sales
A programme built on the volumes you would like to sell, rather than on what you have sold, leads to excess stock. Start modestly and increase as the data supports it.
Forgetting the Ramadan lead time
The goods must reach your customers before the first day of Ramadan, which means they must leave Tunisia much earlier. Plan that shipment first, then fit the rest of the year around it.
Writing a programme nobody reviews
A plan agreed in November and never revisited will not match the market in May. Schedule a short review after each shipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Azzed work with distributors on repeat orders?
We study every request from small and mid-sized buyers, including distributors who want regular supplies rather than a single order. Our export activity is still developing, so each programme is discussed case by case. Contact us with your market, your forms and your calendar.
When is the best time to set up an annual programme?
The start of the crop year, around the harvest from October to December, is often a good moment: new-crop fruit is available and the Ramadan peak is still ahead. Our harvest calendar article explains the timing.
Do we need to commit to a fixed annual volume?
Not necessarily. Many programmes rely on an estimated forecast with shipments confirmed one by one. How binding the forecast is, and on what conditions each shipment is confirmed, is agreed in writing case by case.
How is price handled over a whole year?
Prices depend on the crop, the season, the form, the packaging, the Incoterm and the regularity of orders. They are set by quote, and the way they are reviewed during the programme is agreed case by case.
Can the programme include branch dates, pitted dates and Arjoun?
Yes. Standard dates usually form the base line, branch dates often follow seasonal peaks, pitted dates are available on request, and the Arjoun is better planned shipment by shipment for specific events.
What should we do if a shipment does not match the reference sample?
Document it with photos, lot codes and retained samples, and report it within the time agreed. Our guide on arrival inspection and quality claims explains the steps; how a claim is settled is agreed in the quote.
How often should the programme be reviewed?
A short review after each shipment works well: arrival condition, sales, customer feedback, remaining stock and the composition of the next call-off.
Where do your dates come from?
Our Deglet Nour comes from the oases of Douz and Kébili, in the Nefzaoua region of southern Tunisia. See our Deglet Nour dates and Quality pages.
Conclusion
Moving from one-off orders to an annual supply programme is less about signing a big contract than about planning early and writing down a few clear points. Forecast your need by season, align it with the Tunisian crop year, split it into scheduled shipments or call-offs, agree the specification, pack sizes, reference sample, lead times and price review, keep storage under control, and review the plan after every delivery.
Start with a trial order, learn from it, and let the programme grow from real sales rather than from estimates alone.
Azzed is a local Tunisian Deglet Nour brand from the oases of Douz and Kébili. We are still building our export activity, and we study every request from small and mid-sized buyers for all our products. To discuss a supply programme for your market, request a quote, read our Export page, browse our Products, or message us on WhatsApp at +216 52 146 101.
Read next: The Tunisian Deglet Nour Year for Importers
More buyer guides
Tunisian Deglet Nour in Seasonal Gift Ranges: A Planning Guide for Importers and Gift-Box MakersTunisian Deglet Nour for Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers: A Guide for HoReCa Importers and Food-Service Distributors
When Your Tunisian Dates Arrive: Arrival Inspection, Documenting Problems and Handling Quality Claims