Amid reports about a sharp increase in food prices in Iran, officials say that over the past year demand for red meat has decreased by 50 percent.

Head of the Meat and Protein Industry Association of Iran, Masoud Rasouli told ILNA news website Sunday that "Compared to the last Iranian year [Ending in March 20, 2022], the demand for red meat has decreased by 50 percent while the demand for poultry also experienced a 30 percent fall."

Iran's currency rial on Sunday dropped to an all-time low of 490,000 to the US dollar.

Regarding fish, he said most is exported because of the drop in the value of national currency making exports more profitable, and little domestic demand for it.

Rasouli further noted that some of the meat production units in Iran have shut down, adding that "out of 700 meat packing companies, only 120 are active and 20% of them have closed down last year."

Iranian media report that the price of boneless mutton has reached 5,000,000 rials or 11 dollars per kilogram. Compared with the minimum monthly salary of 42,000,000 rials which is nearly $87 in today’s exchange rates, workers cannot afford any meat.

In recent years, various reports have been published about the increase in the price of all kinds of meat, and the decrease in the consumption of high-protein foods in Iran.

In this situation, the government of Ebrahim Raisi has promised to deliver meat and chicken to the people at an "approved price", but the government has made many similar promises in the past.