Qassem Pishehvar, the head of the Iranian regime’s Agricultural Guild Chamber announced a 30% reduction in autumn crop production due to power outages.
On Saturday, December 21, Pishevar also told the state-run Mehr News Agency that the damage caused by power outages is not limited to agricultural products but also seriously affects equipment for wells.
According to Pishehvar, electricity to agricultural wells is currently cut daily from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Two weeks ago, an inspector from the National Broiler Farmers Union reported a 20% loss to poultry farms due to power outages.
The government’s inability to supply electricity during autumn comes despite electricity demand being one-third lower in cold months than in warmer seasons. The government is unable to meet even this reduced demand due to gas shortages and insufficient liquid fuel for power plants.
Statistics from the Ministry of Energy show that agriculture accounts for 13% of the country’s electricity consumption, but this figure peaks in summer and drops significantly in colder seasons.
Iran’s agricultural sector has faced a drought crisis for years, compounded by a power crisis since last year. Consequently, agriculture’s share in total national employment fell to its lowest in 19 years last autumn. The latest report from the Statistics Center shows that this summer, the sector’s share in total employment dropped by 1% compared to last summer, reaching approximately 14.5%.
Meanwhile, Iran’s annual agricultural imports have peaked at $17 billion, most of which comprises grains like wheat and barley, planted in both spring and autumn.
In addition to agriculture, the government has severely limited electricity supply to industries, while widespread blackouts are also implemented in residential areas.
Iran’s annual electricity consumption grows by 7%, but since 2011, electricity generation has not even reached half that growth rate.
For example, last year, 6,000 megawatts of power generation capacity was supposed to be added, but only one-third of this target was achieved, exacerbating electricity shortages and causing widespread blackouts during summer.
This summer, the electricity shortfall reached 20,000 megawatts, meaning the government was unable to meet 25% of peak demand.
Meanwhile, due to the energy crisis, all university classes in Iran will be held online until the end of the current semester (January 10, 2025). Additionally, many highways and streets in Iranian cities have experienced blackouts.
Iranian regime officials continue to blame the public and high consumption for the crisis, but the main causes are lack of investment in this sector, government indifference, the aging electricity transmission and distribution network, and poor management.
