Tunisia - The food trade balance deficit narrowed by 41.5% during the first four months of 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, to TND 240.7 million, the National Observatory of Agriculture (Onagri) said on Wednesday.

The coverage rate went up from 84.4% at the end of April 2022 to 90.6% at the end of April 2023.

The narrowing of the deficit is mainly due to the 4.2% increase in exports, notably of olive oil (+18.9%), against a 3% drop in imports, following the decrease by 13.4% in grain imports, and this despite the rise by 51.8% in corn and 65.3% in sugar imports.

Onagri data also show a 49% rise in the average export price of olive oil, 43.9% for tomatoes, 2.2% for dates and 1.8% for citrus fruits, compared to the same period of the previous year.

On the other hand, the price of peaches fell by 6.8%.

Import prices for grain fell by 20.2% for durum wheat, 10.5% for barley and 7.4% for soft wheat, compared with a 1.9% rise for maize.

Prices of vegetable oils also decreased by 3%, while prices of sugar and milk and derivatives went up by 18.1% and 12.1%, respectively.

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