While US sanctions are stifling Iran’s economy, the country is increasingly hoping that crude oil will become a cost-effective alternative to traditional imports that fed many Iranians. To alleviate the plight of the people, the Iranian government doubled its potato production.

In 2017, tons of corn. But since then, several leading agro-industrial companies have stopped selling food to the country for fear of violating US sanctions.

In February of this year, photos of ordinary Iranians forced to stand in long lines for subsidized frozen meat due to rising prices appeared on the network.

Amid growing concerns over food shortages, the Iranian government is doubling potato production to make carbohydrate-rich foods available to the masses. Thus, it is trying to drown out the threat of social unrest due to the economic crisis.

Iran has increased potato production by more than 20% since 2009, when its cultivation increased by 4.1 million tons.

Since 2015, Iran has been constantly producing 5 million tons of potatoes, which makes it a reliable food product for the population at this crisis time.