TEHRAN As the bread problem has not been tackled scientifically, unfortunately the bread industry in the country faces serious problems today and baking is not properly handled, said Iran's Minister of Commerce, Mohammad Shariatmadari on Thursday.

Speaking in a conference in Bushehr Province held on enriching flour with iron he added that for adjusting and changing the baking system and bread supply, cooperation of the health, commerce and industries ministries is necessary.

He remarked that attempts had been made in the past for improving bread making industry but to no avail, and reminded that for solving the problem essentially the efforts of the three industries must be doubled.

The Commerce Minister pointed to the absence of professional training of bakers and low profitability of the industry as the main reasons for the serious problem the bread industry is facing.

Shariatmadari said that at present, the government is paying Rls.8,500bn in subsidy and this makes up 85 per cent of total subsidies except for fuel granted annually by the government.

He also mentioned the cost price of on kilogram of flour to be Rls.1,250 for the government and said, "This is while the government sells flour to the bakeries at Rls.40 per Kilogram.

He said that 11 million tons of wheat is the country's annual consumption, 60 per cent of which is produced domestically and the remainder imported.

Iranians obtain 70 percent of their daily protein by eating bread which makes it necessary for them to revise established habits in the interest of better and healthier diets.