Tomato Paste Sees Highest Price Rise Among Food Items

The retail price of tomato paste during the month ending Dec. 21 increased by 248.7% compared with the same period of last year. 
A kilogram of tomato paste went for 190,137 rials ($1.6) in the ninth Iranian month and registered the highest year-on-year price rise for a food item, the Statistical Center of reported. 
Iran has abundant crops of tomatoes, which allows processing industries to sufficiently meet domestic demand for the food item used in many Persian dishes. However, excessive exports of tomatoes and tomato paste, especially to Iraq, amid the depreciation of Iran's local currency led to their shortage in local markets. 
In response, the government initially placed a ban on their exports with the exception of tomatoes grown in greenhouses as well as on tomato paste. Shopkeepers expected to see the export ban turn things around, but an industry representative said tomatoes were being smuggled abroad.