Iranian officials blame rising chicken prices on enemies

IRNA reports that Asadollah Imani told worshippers in Shiraz yesterday: "There are no shortages; rather these psychological wars lead to a false demand for goods in the country."

In recent weeks, the sudden rise in the price of chicken has made constant headlines, with a kilo of chicken selling for as high as 8,000 toumans ($4).

The government has begun distributing poultry at the government price of 4,700 toumans a kilo and has opened the market to imported meat and poultry in order to "control the market."

Imani insisted that false media reports focusing on a shortage of chicken have prompted many Iranians to buy beyond their usual needs, causing a market imbalance.

He added that the gold and foreign currency market experienced a similar fate under the "psychological war being waged by the country's enemies in the economic arena."

The price of gold has also experienced a sudden spike in recent months, while the national currency, the rial, has been devalued by close to 100 percent against foreign currencies.

Many religious leaders have called on people to reduce their consumption of chicken. Officials of the Poultry Farmers Union say a shortage of feed is responsible for the rise in prices, but the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Commerce rejects the statement, saying there is sufficient livestock feed in the country. ISNA had reported earlier that the administration was planning to meet with the president to discuss rising chicken prices, but the meeting was later cancelled indefinitely.