According to the Iranian state television news agency, Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh said in a television program, “Since the formation of the government, the payment of wheat farmers has been semi-officially pursued, and we were looking for resources.” He added that the remaining government debt will be paid in October.
He did not explain how this massive debt to farmers would be paid within less than two months and with what financial resources.
In recent months, Iranian regime officials have repeatedly promised to settle the accounts with wheat farmers, but these promises have not yet been fulfilled. This issue has led to protests by farmers, including gatherings.
In this connection, according to the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Associations in Iran, dozens of wheat farmers in Kermanshah gathered in front of the governor’s office on Wednesday, August 21, to protest the non-payment of their dues and the low price of wheat.
Meanwhile, the Shargh newspaper reported that “in about 10 days, autumn planting will begin in the cold regions of Iran,” but noted that “farmers are empty-handed and have been forced to go into debt to buy fertilizer, pesticides, seeds, and rent machinery.”
The newspaper emphasized that “the government owes a heavy sum to wheat farmers and constantly delays the settlement,” and quoting the National Wheat Farmers Foundation, it stated that the government’s debt to farmers exceeds 1.1 quadrillion rials.
According to this report, “Since March 26 of this year, when spring wheat farmers delivered their wheat to the government, the payment for the purchased wheat has not been settled.”
Shargh pointed out that to date, the government has purchased “more than 11.6 million tons” of wheat from farmers, and the purchase of wheat continues, but there is no news of the payment.
One of the farmers in Ardabil province told this newspaper that the government does not pay the farmers’ wheat money or pays it with a significant delay, which has disrupted the farming schedule and reduced agricultural productivity.
A farmer said the banks are not willing to easily provide loans, and some farmers have been forced to sell their cars, carpets, and household items to resume farming.
He noted that no store is willing to sell seeds, fertilizer, or pesticides on credit to farmers, which has put farmers under pressure, and added that banks are also not willing to easily give loans, forcing some farmers to sell their cars, carpets, and household items to resume farming.
Another farmer in Semnan province told Shargh that rural household income is lower than urban household income, and farmers do not have the ability to save, and this behavior of the government has put rural household livelihoods under pressure.
According to this report, citing the Statistical Centre of Iran, the average annual income of urban households in 2022 was about 1.67 billion rials (approximately $2,784), and the average annual expenditure of urban households was estimated at about 1.37 billion rials (approximately $2,284). Meanwhile, the average annual income of rural households was only about 980 million rials (approximately $1,634), and the average annual expenditure of rural households was about 790 million rials (approximately $1,317).
Wheat is considered one of the most important strategic commodities in the agricultural sector, playing a significant role in household consumption.
The delay in the government’s payment of debts to wheat farmers in recent years has led to farmers’ protests, where each public protest has resulted in the payment of part of the debts, but the government has still not properly fulfilled its commitments regarding the “guaranteed purchase” of wheat from farmers.
Meanwhile, farmers face other problems that have put them under greater economic pressure.
Ali Naqi Imani, regime’s Vice President of the National Wheat Farmers Foundation, told Shargh that farmers are facing great difficulties in obtaining fertilizer for autumn planting, and urea fertilizer has become scarce in the market.
According to him, petrochemical companies have refused to supply fertilizer to the Agricultural Support Services Company in the past two to three months to increase the price of urea fertilizer, and the price of urea fertilizer has now risen by 132%. This is while the guaranteed purchase price of wheat this year has only increased by 16%.
He emphasized that the situation of other agricultural inputs is the same, and farmers’ incomes do not match their expenses at all, and the economic strength of farmers is weakening year by year.
