Rice Prices in Iran Increased Between ’10 to 20 Percent’ Within One Week

Following the government’s directive last week to impose a 9 percent value added tax on certain essential imported household goods, including rice, the price of this product surged sharply over the past week.

Hassan Taghizadeh, chairman of the Babol Rice Sellers Union, said on Tuesday, December 5, in an interview with ILNA news agency, that following the 10 to 20 percent price increase in rice over the past week, the supply of this product has also declined.

According to him, producers and farmers have currently sold their production, and 80 percent of produced rice is in the hands of intermediaries and large chain stores.

Meanwhile, Taghi Jafarian, chairman of the Mazandaran Rice Husking Union, told ILNA that rice production has experienced a 40 percent decline this year.

Iran’s customs statistics show that from the beginning of the year until the end of Esfand, 958,000 tons of rice valued at 818 million dollars were imported, which represents a 23 percent increase in weight compared to the same period last year.

In this regard, Masih Kashavar, secretary of the Rice Importers Association, referring to the impact of value added tax on imported rice prices, said that the monthly consumption of foreign rice in the country is between 100 to 150 thousand tons.

Source: Radio Farda