Walnut Output at 230,000 Tons p.a.

Some 230,000 tons of walnuts worth around $1.65 billion are produced in Iran every year from 153,000 hectares designated for the cultivation of the nut, an official with the Agriculture Ministry said.

“Iran holds third place after China and the US in walnut production and is followed by Turkey, Mexico, India, Chile, Serbia, Ukraine and Spain as major world producers. Walnut is grown over 1.2 million hectares of land throughout the world from which close to 3.4 million tons are harvested every year,” Ramezan Rouintan was also quoted as saying by Eranico.

The official noted that per capita walnut production in Iran amounts to 3 kilograms while the average global figure is less than half a kilo.

“We export around 5,000 tons of the nut per year and each kilo is priced between $6 and $8,” he said. Kerman, Hamedan, Lorestan, Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad and Kermanshah are the main walnut-producing provinces of Iran.