The food trade balance recorded a deficit of 801.4 MD at the end of July 2019, against a surplus of 182.7 MD during the same period of the previous year.
For the seventh consecutive month, the food balance ended in a deficit recording a coverage rate of 77.2% against 106.1% during the month of July 2018, according to data published by the National Observatory of Agriculture (ONAGRI).
In terms of value, food exports fell by 14.1% while imports increased by 18%.
This situation is the result of a sharp decline in exports of olive oil (-35.9% in volume and -41.1% in value) and a clear evolution in grain imports, whose share in food rose from 39.9% to 43.7%, following a year-on-year increase of 3.9% in volume and 29.5% in value.
Grains, sugar and vegetable oils remain the main commodities imported with nearly 61.7% of the total value of total food imports.
Exports of tomatoes and citrus fruits posted a remarkable increase in value, registering respectively 30.3% and 16.5%.