Response of the News Agency Close to the IRGC to the 100,000 Toman Chicken; Not Surprising

The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reacted to the increase in chicken prices to over 100,000 tomans, deeming it predictable and attributing the chicken price over the past year to the achievements of President Raisi's government. In a report titled 'Who is Responsible for the 100,000 Toman Chicken?', it stated that the price analysis of chicken in the year 1401 (2022) clearly shows that with the removal of the 4,200 toman currency, an increase in chicken prices to 100,000 tomans was expected. Tasnim emphasized that chicken prices have risen in recent months, reaching 100,000 tomans per kilogram, but with government intervention, the price of this product decreased, and currently, the price has risen again. Parviz Foroughi, the secretary of the National Association of Broiler Farmers, explained the reasons for the increase in chicken prices, stating: 'The supply of chicken in the market has decreased, and we are facing a shortage of chicken in the market, which is why chicken prices have also increased.' Tasnim further noted that after the removal of the 4,200 toman currency, some producers lack the necessary working capital for production and have thus halted production or are operating at low capacity. The news agency pointed to former economic managers and indirectly blamed the former head of the Central Bank for the chaos in the chicken market, stating that the main culprit for the abnormal prices in the chicken market was the uncalculated removal of the preferential currency in line with economic adjustment policies. Despite warnings about the consequences of this action, the officials at the time in the government's economic team did not pay attention to various aspects of the issue, such as the working capital crisis resulting from the sevenfold increase in the cost of providing inputs. According to reports published in Iran, with the increase in chicken prices to 100,000 tomans, the distribution of this food item has also faced challenges. Accordingly, the Fars news agency reported last week that chicken was being distributed from the back of cars and pickup trucks. According to this news agency, insistence on the approved price and fear of punitive fines have led sellers to offer chicken outside their usual channels. The people of Sistan and Baluchestan and a long list of problems: from lack of water and electricity to bread shortages. Sistan and Baluchestan in crisis; water and electricity outages and long lines for chicken alongside drought. The Ministry of Labor reported: the expansion of the coupon economy in Iran. Publication of the list of items subject to 'coupon'; 90% increase in living costs. Essential goods on the road to inflation; some items in the livelihood basket have become more expensive again. The price of chicken has reached 100,000 tomans per kilogram; per capita consumption has decreased by 6 kilograms.