Pistachio production will decline by 30% this year, said business magnate and member of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Asadollah Asgaroladi. “Pistachio production stood at 220,000 tons in the last Iranian year (ended March 20), while the latest estimations predict a 30% drop this year due to shortage of water,” Eghtesad News quoted him as saying. The overall production capacity has decreased as Kerman Province, the largest pistachio producer in the country, is facing a severe water crisis and production may be transferred to other provinces such as Yazd, South Khorasan, Qom, Qazvin, or Semnan. “Only 120,000 out of 160,000 tons of pistachio targeted for export this year may be delivered,” Asgaroladi added. Over the past years, pistachio production has lingered near 200,000 tons per year, while it was supposed to reach twice the amount, ISNA reported.
