Iranian parliament agriculture committee spokesman says 3.26 million tonnes of chicken were produced last year, 340,000 tonnes above domestic need

The spokesman for the Iranian parliament's committee on agriculture, water, natural resources and the environment said on Sunday, 26 July 2026, while describing the committee's session, that 3.26 million tonnes of chicken meat were produced in the country last year, of which about 340,000 tonnes were surplus to domestic need.

A poultry surplus cuts both ways for Iran's food market. On one hand it creates export capacity; on the other, without a stable export route it can push prices below producers' cost, triggering a cycle of losses and reduced chick placements in later seasons.

Chicken is a staple of the Iranian household protein basket and one of the more volatile components of the food price index, so the balance between its production and consumption feeds into the path of food inflation.