Chicken Prices in Iran Increased by Over 40% Compared to Summer

The price of chicken per kilogram in Iran has reached over 14,000 tomans, with forecasts indicating a potential removal of chicken from the food basket of Iranian households. Mehdi Youssefkhani, head of the Union of Bird and Fish Sellers, reported that the price of 'ready-to-cook' chicken reached 14,300 tomans on Sunday, December 23. He attributed the unprecedented increase in chicken prices to a '40% reduction in production', 'exploitation by live chicken producers under current conditions', 'Newcastle disease', and 'increased prices of feed and day-old chicks in the market'. According to this official, currently '40% of meat chicken production halls are empty, and those that have stocked chicks in the past month and a half are offering live chickens at desired prices'. The increase in chicken prices to 14,000 tomans comes at a time when the Mehr News Agency reported in August that the official price of machine chicken was 9,893 tomans, which had increased by 28.7% compared to July and by 22.3% compared to the same month last year. Thus, comparing the current price of over 14,000 tomans for chicken in the Iranian market shows an increase of more than 40% compared to August. The Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that the recent surge in chicken meat prices was due to 'increased demand for this product due to rising prices of other protein items such as red meat, fish, and eggs'. This news agency quoted Mohammad Yousafi, head of the Association of Broiler Producers, stating that 'low-income and middle-class segments of society have turned to consuming this product instead of red meat and fish, which has led to increased demand'. Meanwhile, Ali Ghorbani, a representative from Bojnourd in Parliament, warned that the continued rise in meat and chicken prices would lead to the 'removal' of chicken from Iranian households' food baskets. Ghorbani added that 'the excessive increase in the prices of chicken, red meat, oil, and medicine in the market is unjustifiable'. Kaveh Zargaran, Secretary-General of the Food Industries Association of Iran, warned in August that the Iranian government's economic policies and the allocation of state currency only to specific goods would cause food prices to rise by up to 100%. In the summer of 2012, the increase in the prices of essential goods, especially chicken and rice, had also made headlines due to 'hoarding'. That year, not only did rice and chicken become scarce in some months, but they also faced price increases. The ISNA news agency reported in July 2012 that 'the price of chicken per kilogram on July 6 of that year was reported to be 5,800 tomans, while this amount in mid-July of the years 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007 was 3,300, 3,000, 2,200, and 2,300 tomans, respectively.'