Just outside Tunisia’s capital, a poultry farm in El-Fahs is grappling with severe losses following a series of recent power outages that have swept across the country. The farm has been forced to dispose of hundreds of dead chickens, with veterinarian Hamza Bouchrit estimating the financial damage between 1.4 and 1.5 million Tunisian dinars (approximately $500,000). The deaths, which account for nearly 90 percent of the flock or about 400 to 500 tonnes of meat, resulted from the failure of ventilation and water systems during extended electricity cuts.
The national electricity company, Société Tunisienne de l'Electricité et du Gaz (STEG), has implemented load shedding to manage surging electricity demand amid soaring summer temperatures. These rolling blackouts aim to prevent a full-scale grid blackout but have reportedly caused disruptions lasting several hours at unpredictable intervals. While the frequency of outages appears to have diminished somewhat since the weekend, businesses and farms continue to bear significant losses.
On the El-Fahs poultry farm, the ventilation system ceased functioning when power was cut, and water pumps stopped supplying fresh water. Although the farm is equipped with a backup generator intended for short emergency use of two to three hours, the prolonged blackout caused the generator to overheat and fail, exacerbating the crisis, Bouchrit explained.
Neighboring agricultural operations have also suffered. Dairy farmer Aziz Bouhejba, who tends to about 50 Holstein cows, reported losses of roughly 1,200 liters of milk—equivalent to six days of production—because the power outages disrupted milking and refrigeration. Bouhejba described these as “dead losses” that will be difficult to recover from.
The business community has voiced frustration over the situation as well. CONECT, one of Tunisia’s main employers’ organizations, criticized the lack of advance notice and clear scheduling for power cuts, underscoring the challenges that unpredictable outages pose for commercial planning and operations.
The food production sector, particularly pastry makers, has also been significantly affected during a peak season for weddings and celebrations. Samia Diab, head of the chamber of pastry makers, said her workshop in El Menzah has been closed for about 10 days due to the outages. Diab described the situation as unprecedented in her 40-year career, highlighting spoilage of large quantities of dough and damage to refrigeration equipment. She also criticized STEG for failing to provide sufficient warning or a precise schedule, which hindered businesses from taking necessary precautions such as investing in generators.
As Tunisia contends with these electricity shortages, the economic and social repercussions continue to mount, with critical sectors like agriculture and food production facing profound operational challenges amid ongoing energy instability.