Reports on Setting a 'Sales Ceiling' for Bread; Government Has 'Turned Customers Against Bakers'

Some reports indicate that the sale of various types of bread has been restricted, and bakers face 'heavy fines of several billion tomans' and reduced 'flour quotas' if they do not comply with the ceiling set by the government. Maryam Shekarani, a journalist, tweeted about a gathering of bakers in front of the Guild Chamber building on Tuesday, January 16, regarding government restrictions on bread sales to customers. According to this journalist, 'Bakers explained that the government has specified that for each subsidized bag of flour, bread should be sold to 30 people.' Shekarani further added, 'Each bag of flour yields about 110 loaves of bread, and each customer receives about 3.5 loaves of bread,' and this restriction also applies to other types of bread. Quoting bakers, Maryam Shekarani wrote: 'If this ceiling is not adhered to, bakers' flour quotas will be reduced, and they will receive bills for heavy fines of several billion tomans.' According to this report, Fatemeh Nazari, head of the Traditional Bakers Union of Tehran, confirmed this news and emphasized that the government's denial of this reality in the media has led customers to believe that bakers are lying, turning them against the bakers. Recently, the newspaper Etemad also confirmed the rationing of bread sales in a field report, calling the 'ceiling for bread and stomach' a move towards further angering people who are already fed up with rising prices. Officials of the Islamic Republic and state media continue to deny the imposition of this restriction by the government in response to these reports. Masoud Amrollahi, the director general of inspection and supervision of basic goods at the Ministry of Agriculture, labeled the restriction on bread purchases as 'absolute falsehood' and stated, 'Without a doubt, action will be taken against non-compliant bakeries.' The official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, also claimed in a report that the prohibition on selling more than four loaves with one bank card pertains to 'some bakers' and is due to the 'black market for flour and bread.' The price of bread in Iran has increased since August of this year under the guise of 'equalization' across various provinces, and this upward trend continues. Iran's annual wheat requirement for consumption and strategic reserves is estimated at 15 million tons per year, part of which is always met through imports. Previously, economist Ahmad Alavi mentioned that the government's goal in the gradual increase of bread and gasoline prices is to prevent public protests.