Iran Moves More Than 20,000 Tons of Potatoes From Cold Storage to Curb Prices
Iran is coordinating the release of more than 20,000 tons of potatoes held in cold storage in Hamadan to increase supply and reduce retail prices. Officials say the country has no underlying shortage, while excessive markups and unnecessary intermediaries have widened the gap between farmgate and consumer prices.
More than 20,000 tons set for market release
Iranian authorities are coordinating the rapid release of more than 20,000 tons of potatoes from cold storage in Hamadan province in an effort to increase market supply and contain retail prices. The initiative brings together the Tehran Fruit and Vegetable Markets Organization, the Hamadan Agricultural Jihad Organization and Iran’s Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives.
Ali Barabari, acting head of the Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives, said the operation was intended to break what officials regard as a price bubble in the potato market. According to a report by Tasnim News Agency, citing the organization’s information service, inspections in Hamadan found that more than 20,000 tons had accumulated in provincial cold stores.
Potatoes have limited storage life, making a timely release important both for preventing losses and for protecting growers from a deterioration in the value of their stocks. Barabari said the consignments should be dispatched quickly to target markets to restore balance while safeguarding the interests of producers and consumers.
Officials reject shortage explanation
Barabari said there was no fundamental shortage of potatoes. Harvesting has begun at a rapid pace in Ardabil and East Azerbaijan, including Sarab, and the harvest cycle is expected to move gradually toward Isfahan and Kermanshah. In the authorities’ assessment, the principal problem is therefore the management of supply rather than the volume of production.
The official criticized what he described as an unjustifiable gap between farmgate and retail prices. Potatoes at Tehran’s central fruit and vegetable market were trading at what he called reasonable prices of 57,000 to 67,000 tomans. The final retail price for consumers should remain below 800,000 rials, equivalent to 80,000 tomans, provided traders and retailers observe the permitted profit margin.
Barabari attributed especially high prices in some districts, particularly northern Tehran, to unnecessary intermediation. The government’s response is focused on raising the volume offered through the market and shortening the supply chain rather than addressing a production deficit.
Market oversight accompanies higher supply
The coordinated program includes Tehran’s municipal fruit and vegetable market management body, Hamadan agricultural authorities, specialist potato-grower associations, rural cooperatives and the Government Discretionary Punishments Organization. The latter is responsible for enforcement against pricing and market violations. Officials have also asked the Chamber of Guilds and retail associations to help monitor compliance with authorized margins.
Barabari said recent arrivals at the Tehran wholesale market were already at an adequate level and predicted that the effect on price stability would become visible within a very short period. No precise timetable or distribution schedule for the stored potatoes was disclosed.
The outcome will depend on how rapidly the Hamadan inventory reaches major consumption centers and whether lower wholesale prices are passed through to shoppers. For growers, an orderly release could prevent spoilage and distress sales. For wholesalers and retailers, the additional supply and closer supervision are likely to limit the scope for markups above the official target. The measure is primarily a domestic market intervention; the report did not announce changes to potato imports or exports.
