Billion-Toman Damage to Kerman Farmers Due to Power Outages

A representative from the Agricultural Jihad Organization in Kerman province announced that electricity imbalances and frequent outages have seriously affected 60% of orchard lands and 14% of agricultural lands in the province. According to the state-run ILNA news agency, Ali Bagheri, head of the Agricultural Jihad Organization in northern Kerman, estimated the total damages from electricity imbalance issues to the agricultural sector in northern Kerman at around 1,230 billion tomans, stating that approximately 127,000 farmers have been harmed by this situation, and the continuation of this trend could lead to a serious crisis in the province's agriculture. This government official noted that the greenhouse sector in northern Kerman has also suffered 24% damage, adding that the outages have not only harmed agricultural and orchard products but have also disrupted 8% of livestock and poultry units in terms of electricity supply. Additionally, agricultural facilities and equipment in this region have faced damages exceeding 6.6 billion tomans. Ahmad Ahmadpour, head of the Agricultural Jihad Organization in southern Kerman, also stated in an interview with ILNA that electricity imbalances have caused over 2,000 billion tomans in damages to agriculture in the southern part of the province. He emphasized that a significant portion of agriculture in southern Kerman relies on electric water wells, but prolonged power outages have disrupted irrigation processes, destroying many crops. According to the report, 152 agricultural well pump motors have burned out in southern Kerman, with repair costs estimated at over 302 billion rials. Furthermore, 60,000 tons of citrus fruits have been damaged due to lack of timely irrigation, and there has been a 21,000-ton decrease in date production, resulting in a loss of 945 billion rials for this product. The report continues that Kerman farmers, who depend on electricity for irrigation to sustain their livelihoods, are frustrated with 10 to 12-hour outages during the critical planting season. Reza Salari, a citrus farmer from southern Kerman, stated, 'We wake up every day worried about whether we will have electricity or not. If there is no electricity, water does not reach the trees, and our products spoil. Last year, we harvested 40 tons per hectare, but this year we won't even have 20 tons.' Mohammad Reza Dehghan, a livestock farmer from northern Kerman, also spoke about the problems in livestock farming due to power cuts: 'Industrial milking machines depend on electricity, and when the power goes out, we cannot milk the cows on time. This leads to reduced milk production and, in some cases, disease in the livestock. The losses we have incurred are irreparable.' Hossein Noori, a greenhouse owner in Kerman, also emphasized that greenhouse heating and cooling equipment depend on electricity, and outages have caused increased temperatures in greenhouses and reduced product quality. He added, 'Last month, over 30% of our plants perished due to excessive heat caused by power outages.' Kerman farmers are fed up with 10 to 12-hour power outages during the critical planting season. According to them, most irrigation systems and agricultural well pumping rely on electricity, and these outages have led to reduced crop growth, decreased quality, and lower production tonnage. Although the national electricity distribution company attributes these outages to increased consumption and pressure on the network, farmers expect that electricity supply during the planting season should be prioritized. Experts have warned that if this trend continues, the decline of Kerman's agricultural industry will be inevitable, and thousands of farmers will lose their livelihoods.