The food trade balance recorded a deficit of 2154.4 million dinars in August 2022, against a deficit of 1321.9 MD during the same period last year, according to data published by the National Observatory of Agriculture ( ONAGRI) Thursday.
The coverage rate reached 63.8% in 2022 against 68.8% in 2021, specifies the same source.
In value, food exports increased by 30.6% while imports increased by 40.7%.
According to ONAGRI, the recorded deficit results in particular from the acceleration in the pace of imports of cereals (+48.9%), vegetable oils (+109.5%) and sugar (+65.6%) and this despite the increase in olive oil exports (+33.0%). %).
Durum wheat prices are up 89.6% from a year ago. The prices of other cereal products (common wheat, barley and corn) rose by between 44% and 61%. This increase is mainly related to the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
According to the Observatory, export prices increased by 31.7% for olive oil, 12.1% for citrus fruits and 8.5% for fish products compared to the same period last year.
On the other hand, those of dates and tomatoes fell by 4.4% and 3.7% respectively.
The same is true for cereal import prices, which soared (+89.6%) for durum wheat, (+62.4%) for barley, (+61.0%) for common wheat and (+44.2%) for corn.
The prices of vegetable oils and sugar also increased by 62.80% and 46.7% respectively.
