During the first nine months of 2024, Tunisia’s food trade balance recorded a surplus of 1,529.7 million dinars, contrasting with the deficit of 764.7 million dinars observed in the same period in 2023, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The import coverage rate by exports thus reached 130.4% at the end of September 2024, compared to 86.7% a year earlier. This performance is explained by a 31.5% increase in food exports, while imports recorded a decrease of 12.5%.
The surplus is mainly attributable to the increase in exports of olive oil (+56.9%), dates (+25.9%), and fishery products (+3.7%), combined with a notable reduction in imports of sugar (-42.6%) and cereals (-20.2%).
At the same time, the average export price of olive oil jumped by 54.6% over a year, reaching 26.75 dinars per kilogram, while the import prices of cereals decreased, posting decreases of between 13% and 26%.
These results strengthen Tunisia’s position on the international food market, favored by strong demand for its main agricultural products and a reduction in costs linked to imports.
