Bread Prices Continue to Rise; 40% Increase Reported in 15 Provinces

A member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly announced a more than 40% increase in bread prices in over 15 provinces. Salman Ishaqi emphasized that this increase is occurring despite some government officials denying it. Investigations by Voice of America indicate that the rise in bread prices began in Mashhad this summer, while the Minister of Economy stated on April 17 that 'we have not seen an increase in consumption in the wheat sector, and the last bastion of people's livelihoods, namely bread, has not been compromised, and the market has been managed well.' Although Ehsan Khandozi initially claimed to maintain the last bastion of people's livelihoods, after the price of bread surged by 40% overnight in Mashhad, he stated, 'Bread does not have a uniform price across the country; its price is determined regionally and provincially.' The Jamaran website, in its report on Sunday, November 5, addressed the issue of rising bread prices, noting that this year, price changes for some food items were quietly marked on goods, and it seems this practice is also being applied to bread. Jamaran emphasized that 'while no government agency has officially announced an increase in bread prices, it is rising quietly.' In response to these developments in the bread sector, Masoud Amrollahi, the Director General of the Inspection and Supervision Office for Basic Goods at the Ministry of Agriculture, claimed that 'this year, we have made no changes either in the weight of bread loaves or in bread prices, and no permits have been issued for price increases.' This claim comes despite Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi previously stating that 'in some provinces, it was decided to increase the price of bread by 15-20 to 30% to adjust and solve the economic problems of bakers.' Ultimately, the rise in bread prices reached Tehran, and the ILNA news agency reported on Friday, September 22, about the removal of subsidies for flour and bread in Tehran and the continued rise in bread prices, stating: 'Once again, subsidies have been removed from the empty tables of the underprivileged.' The increase in bread prices, a fundamental component of household livelihoods, has occurred while officials of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly spoken of 'reducing inflation rates.' Sara Bazbandi, an economist, previously told the Persian section of Voice of America that the economic problems in Iran are evident, and the government is trying to conceal the rise in bread prices. According to Bazbandi, given the social unrest within the country, the government is only trying to wrap the problems and challenges in shiny paper and present them to the people, one example being the attempt to ration bread under the guise of a smart card. The ongoing bread crisis; denial of price increases and the closure of bakeries in the capital. The rise in bread prices; once again, subsidies have been removed from the 'tables of the underprivileged.' Bread has become more expensive in Tehran; the Minister of Economy: 'We have special oversight on bread prices.' Gatherings of social security retirees in several cities in Iran: 'We say salaries are low - bread prices are rising.' 'Adjustment' of prices has reached the capital; bread has quietly become more expensive in Tehran. Two days of work for one kilogram of meat; workers' food baskets have become 'starch-based.'