The market will decide the price of bread, Mojtaba Khosrotaj, the deputy minister of industry, mine and trade, said on Sunday, adding that only 20 percent of bakeries across the country are free to price the bread they bake. These bakeries do not receive subsidized flour, the official noted. “This will help bakeries bake higher quality bread compared to their rivals who benefit from subsidized flour provided by the government,” he said. The government last week authorized bakeries to raise bread prices by 50 percent in Tehran. Officials argue that the decision was made to satisfy both the bakers who complained about low prices and the consumers who were unhappy with low quality bread.
