Tunisia's Food Trade Balance Records Surplus of 1.606 Billion Dinars
The National Observatory of Agriculture (Onagri) revealed on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, that Tunisia's food trade balance recorded a surplus of 1.606 billion dinars by the end of August 2024, a significant contrast to the deficit of 556.2 million dinars observed during the same period in 2023.
This turnaround has enabled the country to achieve a coverage rate of 135.5% for imports by exports, compared to 89.1% the previous year.
This performance is mainly attributed to a 35.4% increase in food exports and an 11.1% decrease in imports.
Olive oil played a key role, with a 62% increase in sales, accompanied by a 24.2% progress for dates. Meanwhile, the decline in sugar imports (-39.6%) and cereals (-19.7%) also contributed to this surplus.
Export and import prices followed this positive trend. Notably, olive oil reached an average price of 26.87 dinars per kilogram, representing a 59% increase. On the import side, cereal prices recorded significant decreases, ranging from 14% to 26% depending on the type, as well as other products like vegetable oils (-16.8%).
Despite this food surplus, the country's overall trade balance remains in deficit, with a deficit of 11.9 billion dinars over the first eight months of 2024.
