The Iranian government has decided to maintain the subsidized US dollar exchange rate for rice importers at 285,000 rials per dollar, despite the Plan and Budget Organization's (PBO) recommendation to remove rice from the list of subsidized basic goods. This decision was upheld by the Cabinet’s Economic Committee, aiming to keep the cost of rice imports stable for importers. Iran sources most of its rice imports, approximately 70%, from India, with the rest coming from Pakistan and other countries. Despite the domestic rice production, Iran's internal demand for rice is significantly higher, nearly three times the imported quantity, predominantly met through domestic paddy cultivation in the northern provinces.