Drought Taking Toll on Iran’s Main Pistachio Production Hub

A total of 14,841 tons of pistachio worth $108 million were exported from Iran during the first five months of the current Iranian year (March 21-Aug. 22), to register a 75% decline in terms of weight compared with the similar period of last year, data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration show.
Last year during the same period, close to 60,000 tons were exported. Iran’s pistachio exports have declined since the fiscal 2007-08 when exports of the products reached 265,000 tons. 
In the fiscal 2021-22, the figure stood at 135,000 tons. In a report published recently, Shargh newspaper explored how water shortage and drought have led to a drastic fall in yields in Kerman Province, Iran’s main pistachio production hub. 
Many local farmers say their orchards have dried up due to the acute water crisis and many others have left the province to rebuild orchards in other places like Saveh, Qazvin and South Khorasan.