TEHRAN- The Minister of Agriculture, referring to the experience of a challenging year marked by two wars, stated that despite having a population of 90 million, Iran has so far faced no shortage in the supply of essential goods and food.

According to IRNA reporting from the Ministry of Agriculture, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh added in a consultative meeting with members of the Parliament's Agricultural Committee: "The UAE, with a population of only a few million, faced food shortages and empty store shelves, and even the occupied territories have encountered a major crisis in the area of essential goods."
The Minister of Agriculture, citing the experience of a challenging year and the occurrence of two wars, identified the management of supply and customs clearance of essential goods as the key factor in maintaining market stability.

According to the report, the meeting emphasized the need for sustainable production and continuous supply of essential goods, as well as the President's order to maintain a minimum inventory of 6 million tons of essential products, support for people's livelihoods under wartime conditions, and the strengthening of the resistance economy in the agricultural sector through cooperation between the government and the parliament.

Simultaneously with the American-Zionist aggression and attack on Iran, government bodies are seeking to manage people's livelihoods and support the economy through policies focused on facilitating and accelerating service delivery.

According to a report by IRNA on April 1, the government, in cooperation with the private sector, aims to expand its support network for various segments of the population and entrepreneurs under the wartime conditions imposed on the country.

The effects and benefits of this policy have been tangible over the past month, reflected in the stability of markets.

Monitoring the actions of the Ministries of Industry, Mining and Trade; Economy; Agriculture; Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare; and other institutions indicates a continuous effort by the government to streamline trade processes for entrepreneurs , manage livelihoods, and support the economy for different segments of society.

Key measures in recent days include: extending the deadline for using customs facilities for goods clearance and accelerating imports; disbursing new financial facilities to households without income and small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the war; implementing the "credit purchase of goods and services" plan for heads of households; and granting facilities to a larger number of retirees.

The Iranian Customs Administration, an affiliate of the Ministry of Economy, had previously provided facilities for goods clearance over the past month and has now extended this process for another month.

Accordingly, special customs facilities remain available for entrepreneurs in emergency situations, allowing goods owners to clear their shipments.

These customs measures aim to expedite the clearance of goods and accelerate customs procedures.

As a result, with the round-the-clock efforts of customs staff and cooperation from adjacent organizations, 2.255 million tons of essential goods have been definitively cleared and entered the country through customs over the past month, from the beginning of the "Ramadan War" until now.

Furthermore, the Trade Promotion Organization, under the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Trade, has taken steps in cooperation with the Iranian Customs Administration to facilitate trade processes.

The most significant of these measures is the extension of the validity of business cards (trade licenses) and registration orders.

On April 2, the Vice Speaker of Parliament and the heads of specialized parliamentary committee met with Seyyed Ali Madanizadeh, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, and discussed the latest measures taken by the ministry to facilitate and accelerate production activities and maintain economic stability.

The meeting was attended by Ali Nikzad, First Vice Speaker of Parliament; Dr. Seyyed Shamseddin Hosseini, Head of the Economic Committee of Parliament; and Nasrollah Pejmanfar, Head of the Article 90 Committee of Parliament, along with the Minister of Economy. 

They reviewed the ministry's efforts to preserve economic stability and the actions taken by the ministry during the Ramadan War.

In this meeting, which was also attended by Mohammad Reza Dashti Ardakani, Deputy for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of the Ministry of Economy, the Minister of Economy presented a report to the representatives on the ministry's measures to maintain economic stability under wartime conditions and the priorities for realizing this year's slogan: "Resistance Economy in the Shadow of National Unity and National Security."

Seyyed Ali Madanizadeh detailed the actions taken in areas such as market stabilization, support for production, intensification of financial oversight, and improved supply of essential and basic goods. 

Subsequently, the parliamentary board members and committee heads emphasized the need for continued and enhanced efforts by the ministry in facilitating production and industrial activities, as well as accelerating customs and tax processes for the people and economic actors.

Also, minister of cooperatives, labor, and social welfare has previously said that the country is not facing shortages of essential goods, despite unrelenting U.S.-Israeli bombing of civilian infrastructure.

The minister, Ahmad Meydari, said his ministry oversees broad industrial and economic capacities, including in dairy production, petrochemicals, mining, coal, and metals. 

He emphasized that safeguarding people’s livelihoods remains a central priority for the government.

Following meetings in Tehran with the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, they agreed to establish a joint committee aimed at identifying and removing bureaucratic hurdles, he said. Meydari described the southeastern province, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, as having significant untapped potential, particularly for expanding cross-border trade.

“In the current wartime conditions,” he said, referring to ongoing regional conflicts, “there is, fortunately, no shortage in the supply of essential goods.” 

He added that authorities are working to diversify supply routes, expanding imports and distribution channels through the country’s eastern, western and northern borders, alongside existing southern corridors along the Persian Gulf.

MA