Food price inflation in Iran; government subsidy in the ‘February 11 livelihood support plan’ equivalent to the price of only one kilogram of rice

Rising prices of food items including meat, rice, and potatoes in various regions of Iran continues. Simultaneously, Iran’s government support plan has little value.

According to reports, the price of each kilogram of Iranian rice has recently increased to around 100,000 tomans, and potatoes are being sold at 20,000 tomans per kilogram in some areas of Tehran. Meat prices have also been reported at “200,000 tomans” in some neighborhoods.

Ibrahim Raisi has ordered that within the framework of the “livelihood support plan on the occasion of February 11,” 100,000 tomans be paid to subsidy recipients.

“Miargel,” a local news agency in Sistan and Baluchestan province, reported on a severe bread shortage in the province, echoing the statements of a woman who said: foreign rice costs 40 to 50,000 tomans per kilogram. With a family of several members, where can we get the money to buy it? And there is no bread either. We have to pay 30 to 40,000 tomans in fare to go to the bakery to buy a few pieces of bread.

Mansour Ali Zarei, representative of Sari in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stating that two million tons of Iranian rice have been produced and approximately 800,000 tons have also been imported, considered the renewed rice price increase as “a result of lack of market oversight.”

ISNA news agency reported on Thursday, February 21, quoting Sari’s representative, that 90,000-toman Iranian rice “was purchased from farmers at 30 to 35,000 tomans.”

Also, according to Mehr news agency, Ismail Ghaderyan-Far, deputy minister of agriculture, says that smart and online distribution of Thai, Pakistani, and Indian rice, as well as potatoes, has begun, and frozen meat will also be distributed online from next week.

While he declared “strategic reserves of red meat” as “very good,” he said: “Meat distribution will be in frozen form, and currently there is no infrastructure for distributing fresh meat.”

Ghaderyan-Far announced that the approved price for online distribution of frozen meat has not yet been determined, and added that in today’s market regulation meeting, its price will be determined and announced.

While potato prices in some areas of Tehran have reached “up to 20,000 tomans,” the deputy minister of agriculture said that online distribution of potatoes has started at 9,800 tomans and promised that next week potatoes “in retail stores will be at most 10,000 tomans.”

Meanwhile, social media users have protested against the rising prices of essential goods and food items.

Majid Dari, civil activist and former political prisoner, with an allusion to calling the Islamic Revolution an “explosion of light” by its founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has compared the income of workers and prices in the years 1357 and 1400.

Sadegh Hosseini, journalist, compared rice prices in year 1400 with the price of Bahar Azadi coin in 1381 in a tweet.

Ehsan Badaghi, journalist, also wrote in a tweet: “The most symbolic news about the state of the country on the eve of the 43rd anniversary of the revolution; by order of the president, 100,000 tomans of livelihood support plan subsidy on the occasion of February 11 will be transferred. Equivalent to one kilogram of rice.”

The deputy minister of agriculture announced the online distribution price of Thai rice at 12,500 tomans, Pakistani rice at 20,500 tomans, Indian rice at 18,500 tomans, and “Shirudi rice” at 42,000 tomans, and said: with these announced prices from Thursday, February 21, rice will also be distributed in chain stores.

Ghaderyan-Far, stating that “approximately 50 percent” of New Year’s Eve fruits will also be “distributed online from March 11,” said that its price has not yet been approved “but will be at least 30 percent less than market rates.”

Source: Voice of America