The Ministry of Industry has raised the price of bran on the basis of keeping the price of bread cheap, but the bread itself has entered into animal feed, with an estimated 5 million tonnes of wheat entering the feed,” said the head of the Union of Livestock Industry.

“The increase in the official price of bran to 1250 Tomans has increased the entry of bread into livestock and poultry, especially in rural communities,” said Allahyar Yar Valizadeh, head of the National Union of Livestock Industry.

He added: Approved price per kilogram of bran last year was 520 Tomans, which increased to 840 Tomans late last year and now reaches 1250 Tomans factory door and till products reach us they will cost about 1500-1600Tomans; That is the price of one kilogram of bread in the villages of the country.

While the price of bread is cheaper than bran, its nutritional value is five times higher, and villagers have gone to buy bread from their bakeries for livestock, the president said.

He added: While there is no limit to the number of loaves in the country, it is observed that every village buys 30 loaves daily and it is clear that this bread is not for household consumption.

Valizadeh said villagers mix bread with other agricultural waste such as straw because of its low price compared to bran and put it in sheep, calf, chicken and goose rations.

The head of the Union of Livestock Industry said the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Commerce had raised the price of bran on the basis of cheap bread to offset rising costs for flour mills, but on the other hand, bread was imported into animal feed, which is estimated to be around 5 million tonnes. Wheat is thus introduced into animal feed and poultry.