Algiers — Sub-Saharan Africa's food import bill is expected to reach $48.7 billion in 2019, 3.8% more than in 2018 ($46.9 billion), the Organization of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on its website.

The increase will come amid global food purchases expected to fall 2.5% to $1.472 trillion, the first since 2015.

The increase in imports in sub-Saharan Africa will be driven mainly by cereals and to a lesser extent by fish, underlines the same source.

The amount devoted to cereals should increase from 15.1 billion dollars to 17.5 billion dollars in 2019, or 36% of the total envelope.

For its part, the value of fish imports is forecast to reach 4.8 billion dollars against 4.4 billion dollars in 2018.

Other items such as meat, milk, sugar, vegetables or oilseeds should record a decline or stability in the amount of their imports, according to the FAO.

As a reminder, sub-Saharan Africa is the third regional importer of wheat, behind Southeast Asia and North Africa, and the first regional importer of rice.