Significant Increase in Agricultural Product Prices in the First 6 Months of the Pezeshkian Government

Data from the 'Statistical Center of Iran' shows that the prices of agricultural products have increased more than other commodity groups during the first six months of Masoud Pezeshkian's government. Among these, potatoes have seen a price increase of 152% and eggplants have risen by 100%, making them the most expensive items. According to the 'Tejarat News' website, an analysis of the price index of food and agricultural products indicates that in Bahman of this year compared to Mordad of the same year, agricultural products experienced the highest price increase. In some items, this price growth has exceeded twofold. Based on the price table in the Tejarat News report, during this period, the price of potatoes increased by 152%, followed by eggplants at 100%, tomatoes at 83%, and bell peppers at 64%. Additionally, the prices of cucumbers, zucchini, and onions increased between 46% to 64%. Despite mushrooms experiencing the least price increase at 13%, they remain the most expensive product among the items analyzed, priced at 168,000 tomans for a one-kilogram pack. The price analysis shows that mushrooms, bell peppers, and tomatoes are among the most expensive items. Bell peppers are priced at 76,000 tomans and tomatoes at 46,000 tomans. The Statistical Center of Iran, as the only official reference approved by the Islamic Republic government regarding inflation, published this data. The announced prices are also average market rates for the months of Mordad and Bahman of this year, and there may be discrepancies in final retail prices. The increase in these product prices indicates the direct impact of inflation on essential and food items for households, raising concerns about the rising costs of the food basket for people in the coming months. The Statistical Center of Iran also published the consumer price index in Bahman, which showed that over the 12 months ending in Bahman, the prices of all ten subgroups related to food and beverages were 'rising'. Accordingly, food inflation in Bahman this year was recorded between 22% to 93%, leading to an annual average inflation rate for this group reaching 45.1%, which is 2.6% higher than the overall average inflation. The severe inflation of essential goods has led to a reduction in their purchase by citizens, significantly removing or reducing these items from the usual monthly shopping basket of most Iranian households. Market activists and experts attribute part of the current price increases to currency prices and express concerns about future prices. The change in the official exchange rate for essential goods in recent years has also had a direct impact on the continuous increase in prices in Iran. The current government had also planned to change this rate in the middle of this year but retreated following criticism of its decision. In a meeting of the market regulation headquarters chaired by Pezeshkian's first deputy on Esfand 6, it was announced that the government would maintain the rate of 28,500 tomans for providing currency for essential goods next year. This decision indicated that the government had retreated from its previous policy of increasing the exchange rate for essential goods to 38,500 tomans, and the policy of stabilizing the exchange rate has once again been put back on the agenda. Experts say that stabilizing the exchange rate at a level lower than the market rate can still create grounds for corruption and rent-seeking in the allocation of government currency. The market is sluggish on the first day of Ramadan and on the eve of Nowruz. The Minister of Agriculture: 'The increase in tea and legumes prices is natural.' The market is in a coma; an analyst: 'The government is not normal,' shops are closed. Inflation has put the Nowruz market into a coma. The government has retreated from its previous decision regarding the exchange rate for essential goods. Imported goods have seen inflation of 53%; ineffective governance in Iran.