TUNIS - Tunisia's food trade deficit doubled to 1.559 billion dinars ($496.99 million) due to the higher cost of imports of cereals and sugar in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year, the state Agricultural Observatory said on Tuesday.

The food trade deficit was 806 million dinars in the first half last year.

Tunisia's total trade deficit widened by 56 % to $3.66 billion in the first half of 2022, the state Institute of Statistics said this month.

(Reporting By Tarek Amara; Editing by Jon Boyle)