Dairy Product Consumption in Iran Decreased by 20 Percent Amid 80 Percent Price Increase

The chairman of the board of directors of the Iranian Dairy Products Industries Association says that following the “subsidy system reform” last month, dairy product prices experienced an approximately 80 percent price increase.

Mir Islam Timori on Monday, June 6, while pointing to the reduced purchasing power of consumers, said that since Ordibehesht when milk prices increased significantly, dairy product consumption in households has decreased by 20 percent.

According to him, this level of consumption decline has occurred in the short term, and it is predicted that in the long term, the decline in dairy product consumption will increase.

Hosein Chamani, consultant to the Dairy Products Industries Association, also warned yesterday that the reduced purchasing power of consumers and the depreciation of the rial value have changed people’s behavior and have had negative impacts on people’s food pyramid and food basket.

He described the decline in milk consumption over the past four years as approximately 40 percent and added that the consequences of reduced milk consumption in cellular hunger are irreparable.

Mr. Chamani further stated that the average dairy product consumption in Western Europe is approximately 260 kilograms per year, while per capita consumption in Iran is less than 90 kilograms.

Source: Radio Farda