When the Israel-Iran conflict flared up in 2025, most analysts focused on oil prices, weapons, and diplomacy. But beneath the headlines, a silent crisis gripped everyday Iranian households—eggs. Once a staple in every kitchen, eggs became the face of inflation, logistics chaos, and political uncertainty.
In this blog, we uncover the real story of how war has cracked the shell of Iran’s poultry market, exposing the fragility of food security in times of geopolitical conflict.
🐔 Overview of Iran’s Poultry Sector: Before the War
Before the war, Iran's poultry industry was one of the strongest in the Middle East:
- 🇮🇷 Producing over 115,000 tonnes of eggs per month
- 🥚 Supplying a population of over 88 million
- 📦 Exporting to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gulf nations
- 💼 Employing over 800,000 people
Eggs were cheap, abundant, and subsidized. Consumers relied on them for affordable protein, and the government considered poultry a “strategic” food product.
🚨 The Shock of War: What Happened First? 💥
When Israel and Iran clashed in early 2025, fears of a full-scale regional war rippled through markets. But even before bombs fell, two major things happened:
🔒 1. Blockades and Sanctions Disrupted Trade
Iran’s import of corn and soybean meal (used for poultry feed) slowed down. Freight and insurance costs for foreign suppliers doubled due to risk surcharges.
🚛 2. Domestic Supply Chains Were Interrupted
Major cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan reported delays in receiving eggs, as fuel, security checks, and transport disruptions slowed down logistics.
💵 Spike in Prices: The Cost of an Egg Tripled! 📈🥚
From April to June 2025, the price of eggs in Iran increased by nearly 300% in some areas:
| Month | Price per Dozen (IRR) | Equivalent in USD |
|---|---|---|
| March | 150,000 | $0.90 |
| April | 240,000 | $1.45 |
| May | 320,000 | $1.95 |
| June | 410,000 | $2.50 |
Root Causes:
- 🛑 Fuel shortages raised transport costs
- ❌ Delayed feed shipments reduced productivity
- 😡 Retailers hoarded stock and engaged in price gouging
- 🥵 Summer heat increased mortality in layer hens due to power outages
🔍 Behind the Scenes: Poultry Farmers’ Struggles 🐣💔
Many poultry farmers faced a double blow:
- High Feed Prices: With soybean and corn imports delayed or inflated, feed costs rose by 60–80%.
- Power Cuts: Farmers couldn’t run hatchery incubators or ventilation systems for layers.
- Water Shortages: Water delivery delays hit rural poultry farms the hardest.
“We couldn’t afford feed, couldn’t get diesel for trucks, and half our flock died due to the heat,” said a farmer from Kermanshah.
🌾 Government Response: Too Late or Just Enough? ⏳🏛️
The Iranian government took several emergency measures:
- 🚚 Released 40,000 tonnes of feed stockpiles
- 🧾 Subsidized freight costs for poultry farms
- 👮 Fined retailers involved in hoarding
- 💬 Issued weekly egg price limits in urban markets
Still, many experts said it was too little, too late. The damage had already been done by the time policies kicked in.
🌍 What Happened to Exports? 📦❌
Iran had exported over 27,000 tonnes of eggs in early 2025 to nearby countries. But the war severely disrupted this:
- ✋ Border crossings with Iraq were temporarily closed
- ⛔ Afghan importers halted orders fearing regional escalation
- 🛳️ Maritime routes to Qatar and UAE were too risky
As a result, Iran lost nearly $30 million in egg export revenue in Q2 2025.
📦 Exports Interrupted and Reoriented
🚫 Export Drop
Though Iran exported ~77,000 tons in first half of Iranian year (to Oct 2024), war halted exports mid‑June 2025. Borders with Iraq and Afghanistan temporarily closed; maritime export routes too risky .
Losses estimated at $30–40 million in missed export revenue.
🔄 Pivot or Pause
Some poultry firms sought alternative channels or slowed hatch cycles to avoid oversupply. Export logistics remain deadlocked until The Strait of Hormuz dispute eases.
📉 Consumer Behavior: Panic, Hoarding & Demand Rollercoaster
😱 Panic Buying & Black Markets
As news of conflict and shortages spread, consumers hoarded. Several cities saw black market egg prices triple regulated rates. Restaurants removed egg dishes from menus temporarily.
🔄 Supply Rebound & Overshoot
By July, supply chains restored, leading to oversupply. Prices dropped sharply—but farmers were forced to sell below production cost. Many left chicks unfed or culled to minimize losses.
📉 Demand Collapses, Then Surges: A Consumer Whiplash 🌀🍳
Q2 2025 – The Egg Panic:
As eggs disappeared from shelves, consumers panicked. Black markets thrived. Restaurants cut egg-based dishes from menus. Some poor families switched to beans and lentils.
Q3 2025 – Oversupply Again:
When supply chains normalized in July, the market flooded with eggs. But by then, prices had fallen again—farmers sold at a loss.
🧠 Sectoral Insights: What Egg Crisis Reveals About Iran
⚠️ Fragility Despite Surplus
Though Iran produced more than enough eggs, the system was brittle—transport, feed, energy, water shortages exposed a fragile network.
🌱 Emergence of Urban Backyard Poultry
Distrust in markets pushed urban households to raise one-off backyard hens. Digital startups offering egg deliveries grew quickly.
🔍 Regional Impacts
Neighboring countries like Afghanistan sought alternative food sources, including Russian imports, signaling ripple effects of Iran's food disruption.
🌐 Global Risk Signals
Conflict near essential maritime passages like the Strait of Hormuz threatens not just Iran but broader Middle East food systems. Fertilizer and grain flows from Brazil, India, and West Asia face volatility
🔄 How the War Changed Poultry Forever in Iran 🔥🐥
The war changed how Iranians think about food:
- Urban consumers learned to hoard—a trend similar to the early days of COVID-19.
- Small-scale poultry farming is growing, even in cities, due to lack of trust in markets.
- Digital apps for egg delivery exploded in popularity.
🛠️ Policy Recommendations Going Forward 📋💡
If Iran wants to stabilize its egg market and prepare for future shocks, experts recommend:
- 🌽 Create domestic corn and soybean production hubs
- 🧊 Develop cold-chain infrastructure for eggs
- 🪫 Ensure backup power for poultry farms
- 🌐 Diversify export routes through safer corridors
❓ Most FAQs About Iran’s Egg Market Crisis
Q1: Why did egg prices rise so much in Iran in 2025?
A: Prices rose due to war-related logistics breakdowns, feed shortages, and hoarding. Farmers also faced power and water cuts.
Q2: Did the war with Israel stop egg production in Iran?
A: No, egg production continued, but distribution and logistics were heavily disrupted for weeks.
Q3: Are eggs still affordable in Iran in 2025?
A: Prices are fluctuating. While they dropped after July, farmers are now selling at a loss. Affordability remains unstable.
Q4: Has Iran stopped exporting eggs?
A: Exports dropped sharply due to border closures and freight risks. Most exports to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Gulf countries were paused.
🐓 Q5: Are poultry farmers recovering?
A: Many small farmers lost flocks and money. Recovery is slow, especially with inflation and continued feed cost pressure.
Q6: Can Iran become egg self-sufficient again?
A: It already is in production—but unless logistics and trade routes are stabilized, even self-sufficiency won’t ensure affordability.
Q7. How long did high prices last in 2025?
A: Prices peaked mid‑June and declined by late July as logistics normalized—but farmers by then had lost revenue and stock.
Q8. What caused feed shortages?
A: International sanctions, subsidy removal, import delays, currency devaluation, inadequate crushing capacity, and quality issues in imported corn and soy.
Q9. Are small poultry farms surviving?
A: Many small and mid‑scale farms have either shutdown or faced insolvency. Hundreds of farms closed in Isfahan and Mazandaran regions; commercial farms reduced hatchery scale .
Q10. How does the egg crisis affect food security?
A: Eggs are a key protein for low-income households. With inflation at 40–70%, and over half of Iranians under some level of malnourishment, affordability crisis worsens food insecurity .
Q11. What structural reforms are needed?
A: Feed subsidy reinstatement; domestic commodity processing; cold-chain logistics; resilient energy/water systems; exchange rate stabilization tools; and financial safety nets for farmers.
🎯 Deeper Insights: Lessons Beyond Eggs
- Eggs are early warning sensors: Surging egg prices reveal deeper systemic dysfunction before, say, oil or grain inflation emerges.
- Sanctions ripple deeper than finance: Feed imports delayed, energy markets disrupted—small shocks cascade to everyday food goods.
- Water and power crises are agriculture crises: With dams depleted and electricity unreliable, farm operations falter first.
- Policy whiplash kills stability: Sudden subsidy cuts without transition plans weakened industry resilience.
- Community adaptation emerges fast: Urban backyard poultry and digital egg apps illustrate bottom-up resilience.
📝 Final Thoughts: A Fragile Future
Iran’s egg market crisis reveals a deeper truth—food systems are just as vulnerable to war as oil pipelines or internet cables. The 2025 Israel-Iran conflict turned the humble egg into a symbol of broken systems and resilience. As tensions continue, Iran’s poultry sector must evolve fast—or crack again under pressure.