Tunisia’s agricultural sector delivered a robust performance in the first seven months of the year, with the country’s food trade surplus jumping 22.2% to reach TND 1.06 billion (USD 344.1 million), according to fresh data released Wednesday by the National Observatory of Agriculture (Onagri).
The marked improvement from the same period in 2025 was largely fueled by a stellar season for olive oil, the North African nation’s crown jewel of agribusiness. Exports of the liquid gold surged 43.4% year-on-year, generating TND 3.59 billion (USD 1.2 billion) in revenue.
Olive oil emerged as the undisputed heavyweight of Tunisia’s food exports, commanding a dominant 63.3% share of the total sector. Onagri attributed the sharp rise in earnings to a 47.9% leap in export volumes, which more than offset a modest 3% dip in average prices to TND 12.47 (USD 4.27) per kilogram. Behind olive oil, the country’s export basket was rounded out by dates (9.1%) and seafood products (5.8%).
While the agribusiness sector continues to serve as a vital economic engine, its strong performance was insufficient to counterbalance the nation’s broader trade imbalance. Overall, Tunisia’s trade deficit widened by 25.7% over the seven-month period, settling at a hefty TND 14.9 billion (USD 5.1 billion), underscoring the persistent structural challenges facing the wider economy.
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