Drought has inflicted 670 trillion rials ($2.79 billion) worth of losses on Iran’s agriculture sector since the beginning of the current crop year.
According to Mohammad Mousavi, an official with the Agriculture Ministry, assessments carried out over 11.2 million hectares of farming lands in 30 provinces show 43% of the total losses amounting to 670 trillion rials pertained to the decline in agronomic production, 26% to a drop in horticultural output, 13% to a fall in fisheries and livestock, and 11% to a decline in forage crops.
“In addition, 4% of the total damage were due to challenges created in water infrastructures, such as pools, pipes, qanats and springs and 3% of the losses can be attributed to water supply complications and the animal feed used by nomads,” Mousavi was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Stressing that the precipitation rate in the current crop year has decreased by 54% compared with last year and 41% compared with the long-time average, the official said besides the decline in precipitation rate, the rise in heatwaves and evaporation, and the inappropriate distribution of rainfall have resulted in drought and adverse consequences for the agriculture sector.
“Iran Meteorological Organization’s reports show that 92% of the country have been affected by drought at different levels: 20% of the country’s area are experiencing extreme drought, 28% severe drought, 25% moderate drought and 19% are abnormally dry, while only 8% of the country have normal conditions,” he said.
Mousavi noted that the emergency plans put together by Agriculture Ministry underlines the management of strategic reserves, animal feed and necessity goods in proportion to the decline in production.
“Easing pressure on groundwater resources and soil in the country, fair distribution of pressure or weight of water shortage in different sectors, when used as potable water, or in agriculture or industries sector, has been underscore in this plan,” he said.
“Greenhouse farming reduces water consumption as compared to open-air farming practices. Therefore, agricultural technologies such as greenhouses will be effective in conserving water while simultaneously enhancing production, exports and farmers’ livelihoods.”
The official also said grazing management must be adjusted quickly to drought conditions to preserve pastures.
“At least one million head of livestock must be purchased by State Livestock Affairs Logistics Inc. to lift pressure on the country’s pastures. Twenty-two million head of livestock now depend on grazing in pastures,” he said.
“On the other hand, given the decline in animal feed production, compared with last year, the shortage must be filled through imports. We have proposed an increase of 3.7 million tons in barley imports compared with last year to control prices, reduce the pressure of livestock in pastures and support milk and meat production in drought condition.
“Loan repayment deferrals, provision of cheap loans, paying compensation to farmers by the Agricultural Insurance Fund, financing the reconstruction of water supply and transportation infrastructures, and assisting farmers who have lost 100% of their products are advisable for managing the drought crisis in the agriculture sector,” he concluded.
Dust Storms Inflict $125m in Losses on Habitats, Infrastructures
Sand and dust storms inflict as much as 30,000 billion rials ($125 million) to habitats, infrastructures and agricultural lands annually, Masoud Mansour, the head of Forests, Ranges and Watershed Management Organization, says.
“Of up to 30 million hectares of country’s lands, which are on the brink of deforestation, 14 million hectares have now reached crisis levels and seven million hectares are at the center of crisis,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
“A total of 2,400 billion rials [$10 million] have been allocated to help battle sand and dust storms this year [March 2021-22], most of which will go to Khuzestan Province in the southwest of the country. Approximately 521,000 hectares of Khuzestan are desert, of which 350,000 hectares are new centers that have recently turned into dust storm hotspots,” he said.
Noting that 450 cities and over 8,600 villages are prone to flooding, the official said, “Over the past 20 years, the country has been hit by more than 3,500 floods and each of them has caused an average of 400 billion rials [$1.66 million] in losses.”
Experts believe that most of the sources of dust storms, which have become more frequent and intense recently, are located in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
Domestic sources are said to contribute to only 20% of sand storms in the country while the water policies of regional countries, particularly Turkey, have compounded Iran’s struggle with dust and sandstorms, as Turkey's excessive dam construction has choked off water flow to Iraq and Syria.
