Recent reports on fruit prices in Iran’s daily market reveal that a worker must sacrifice two to three days’ salary to purchase just four kilos of summer fruit. This estimate is based on prices at fruit and vegetable markets; prices at city fruit shops are even higher.
According to the Iranian Statistics Center, June saw record inflation for all types of fruits, with prices escalating unprecedentedly during the spring and continuing into summer.
On Tuesday, July 9, ILNA news agency published a report titled “Father’s Basket Lacks Fruits,” highlighting the impact of rising fruit prices. The report stated, “Summer fruits are absent from the shopping baskets of low-income households.”
Current reports indicate that one kilo of black figs costs 298,000 tomans, yellow or black plums range from 98,000 to 120,000 tomans per kilo, and Asgari grapes are priced at 118,000 to 198,000 tomans per kilo. Additionally, the price of rose apples ranges from 75,000 to 148,000 tomans per kilo, and cherries are sold for 148,000 to 168,000 tomans per kilo.
The price for a kilo of strawberries is 188,000 tomans, apricots range from 68,000 to 198,000 tomans, peaches from 55,000 to 98,000 tomans, pears cost 400,000 tomans, nectarines range from 71,000 to 98,000 tomans, and sour cherries are priced between 79,000 and 125,000 tomans per kilo.
In the juicy fruit market, each kilo of watermelon costs between 15,000 and 22,000 tomans, while melons are priced at 49,000 tomans per kilo.
Imported fruits are also expensive: each kilo of bananas ranges from 75,000 to 89,000 tomans, mangoes from 115,000 to 198,000 tomans, and 200 grams of blueberries are sold for 130,000 to 300,000 tomans.
These prices highlight the financial strain on workers, especially those earning minimum wage. Summer fruits have become a luxury affordable only to the wealthy and upper class.
For 2024, the daily salary of a minimum wage worker is 238,000 tomans, and with all benefits included, it barely reaches 250,000 tomans. If a minimum wage worker wants to buy a small basket of 1 kilo each of figs, yellow plums, cherries, and grapes for his children, he would need to pay at least 662,000 tomans, which is 2.6 times his daily salary, even if he buys from the cheapest market.
In reality, an Iranian minimum wage worker must work 2.6 days without purchasing anything else to afford four kilos of summer fruit at the lowest prices available.
Labor activists report that the situation for workers has deteriorated compared to previous years. This issue is particularly troubling for seasonal and daily wage workers, who often work only a limited number of days per week or month.
Hasan Ezzati, head of the Baneh Construction Workers Union in Kurdistan province, noted that a daily wage construction worker can rarely find work for more than two days a week, earning a total of 1.2 million to 1.3 million tomans for those two days.
Labor activist Faramz Tawfighi expressed concern about the steep price increases, noting that the removal of fruits and vegetables from the daily shopping basket endangers the health of the working class. He pointed out that low-income families are increasingly purchasing cheaper goods, which can lead to physical and mental health issues.
The low-income segments of society, predominantly composed of low-wage workers, allocate a significant portion of their limited income to rent, further diminishing their purchasing power for essential and edible goods.
Etemad newspaper recently reported, citing official data, that in June, the average housing price in the capital reached 86 million tomans per square meter, a four million toman increase from two months prior. Rent has also surged, becoming 42% more expensive this spring. Consequently, many households find it impossible to afford a standard, quality food basket.
