In the first nine months this year, Tunisia's food trade deficit narrowed by 73 percent, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries said Thursday.

For the Jan.-Sept. period, Tunisia's food trade deficit declined to 294 million dinars (104 million U.S. dollars), sharply down from 1.1 billion dinars in the same period last year, the ministry said.

During the period, Tunisia's food exports reached 3.7 billion dinars. Among the exports, olive oil exports rose to 76,900 tons from 64,700 tons in the same period last year, it added.

The rise in food exports was also fueled by growth in seafood and dates exports, which grew by 33 percent and 38 percent, respectively.