Tehran - Iran's Agriculture Minister has underscored the ministry's firm commitment to reforming the agricultural product distribution network and significantly reducing the gap between farm production and consumer purchase.

Speaking on the critical need for structural changes within the agricultural distribution system and a shorter farm-to-table pathway on Saturday, Gholamreza Nouri stressed that the disproportionately high profits earned by intermediaries, often four times greater than those of the farmers themselves, pose a major challenge.

He affirmed the ministry's resolve to tackle this significant problem while simultaneously championing the interests of both agricultural producers and end consumers.

Citing a report from the Ministry of Agriculture's information portal, Nouri announced plans to establish at least 500 village markets nationwide this year.

He added that relevant organizations will be actively involved in this initiative to ensure mutual benefits for producers and consumers alike.

"Our objective is to establish price points that are both equitable for farmers and affordable for consumers," the Minister said.

He said, "A core aim of these policies is to narrow the price disparity of agricultural goods as they move from the farm to the consumer's table. Regrettably, in certain instances, this price gap between the initial producer and the final consumer inflates unreasonably by as much as fourfold. This occurs while farmers, after a year of dedicated labor, typically see modest profits of only 10 to 15 percent, whereas intermediaries can realize profits up to four times greater within a mere 12 hours."

Nouri said his ministry is actively working to rectify this imbalance, ensuring that the true benefits accrue to the producers and that the ultimate cost for consumers is reduced.