The food trade balance recorded a deficit of 1,952.4 MD during the first eleven months of 2021, against a deficit of 678.8 MD, during the same period of the previous year.
Therefore, the coverage rate stands at 66.7% in 2021, against 86.7% in 2020, according to the note on the “the food trade balance at the end of November 2021”, published by ONAGRI Monday.
In terms of value, food exports have declined by 11.2%, while imports have increased by 15.4%.
The deficit recorded is essentially the result of the higher pace of grain import (+25.9%), on the one hand and the decline in olive oil exports (-32.5%) on the other.
Export prices went up 42.5% for olive oil and 20.9% for tomatoes, compared to the same period last year.
However, those of dates, citrus and fisheries products have decreased by 12.1%, 7.2% and 2.5%, respectively.
ONAGRI also notes a significant decrease in imports of potatoes, meats and sugar, at the end of November 2021.
Grain import prices have risen by 22.5% for durum wheat, 29.8% for soft wheat, 34.9% for barley and 52.8% for corn.
It is the same for the price of vegetable oils (+41.6%), milk and derivatives (+15.3%) and sugar (+13.8%), while the prices of meat and potatoes have declined respectively, 37.8% and 9.3%.
The deficit of the country’s overall trade balance at the end of November 2021 grew 25.6% (-14,653.8 MD in 2021 against -11,666.6 MD in 2020).
Overall imports went up from 46,617.0 MD in 2020 to 56,723.4 MD in 2021 that is to say a growth of 21.7%. Exports grew 20.4% from 34,950.4 MD to 42,069.6 MD.
The energy and raw materials and semi-finished products represented together 47.3% of the country’s total imports.
Food exports accounted for 9.3% of total exports. Food imports accounted for 10.3% of total imports.
The share of the food trade deficit in the overall trade deficit increased by 7.5% compared to the same period last year from 5.8% to 13.3%.
