A television interview in which an Iranian dairy industry chief told a baffled TV host that cows do indeed “eat dollars” has gone viral, sparking a wider debate about soaring food prices amid the country’s severe economic crisis.
The exchange came in an interview with Ali Ehsan Zafari, chief executive of the Association of Dairy Cooperatives, after a TV presenter expressed surprise at why milk prices were rising so sharply.
“This cow, which walks around quite leisurely on the livestock farm and produces milk, it doesn’t eat dollars!” the journalist said.
Zafari replied: “Look, my dear, respected sir, I have to say: Yes, it does eat dollars. Because when we import some of our animal feed, that naturally has its consequences.”
The video spread quickly through Iranian media and has been widely discussed against the backdrop of the country’s economic crisis.
The price rises have also fuelled debate because the government has repeatedly stressed its desire to become more economically independent.
Some news sites close to the government have sought to provide transparency on the issue. The prices of animal feed such as maize, barley and soybean meal were influenced by imports, global market prices and exchange rates, the Fars news agency reported on Thursday.
Currency in freefall
Iran’s currency, the rial, has been in freefall for months. Last week, the exchange rate for €1 rose above the historic threshold of 3 million rials for the first time.
In the middle of the year, state media reported an average annual inflation rate of 53.9%. The crisis has long since affected many sections of society and people have cut back sharply, often buying only the bare essentials.
Israel and the US attacked Iran at the end of February. A ceasefire has been in place since the beginning of April, though it has recently been overshadowed by mutual exchanges of fire in The Gulf. A diplomatic solution is not in sight.
Concern is growing about the prospect of a fresh, larger-scale military escalation. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is seeking to bring Iran to its knees through economic pressure.