Iranian media reports saying that the price of macaroni might rise have made the staple a scarcity, Iranian official news agency (IRNA) reported on Sunday May 5.

Kaveh Zargaran, a foodstuff industry official had told reporters that the price of macaroni may rise by 70 percent in the coming days because of shortage of milled wheat. Iran imports wheat to compensate for domestic shortages.

The final price is to be determined on Monday, say market experts.

According to IRNA, as the news broke out about a possible price rise, Iranians rushed to supermarkets and local shops and bought what was already available in the market leaving store shelves empty.

Macaroni producers say Iran produces one million tons of macaroni every year and exports half of it to other countries.

Tomato, onion and tomato paste are among the goods that have already become scarce and unreasonably expensive in the Iranian markets while the price of bread has also been rising over the past weeks. With the shortage of macaroni, low-income Iranians have been deprived of some of the cheapest ingredients for a simple meal.