Around 170,000 tons of pistachios were produced in Iran during the last Iranian year (March 2017-18), of which more than 118,000 tons were exported.
Iran Pistachio Association told the Financial Tribune.
Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Germany with around 25,000 tons, 18,000 tons and 9,800 tons of purchases respectively were Iran’s top three export destinations over the period.
Pistachios were cultivated on over 430,000 hectares of orchards in the country last year with the provinces of Kerman, Khorasan Razavi and Yazd being the biggest producers of the nut.
According to Deputy Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mojtaba Khosrotaj, Iran supplies more than 50% of the world pistachio market.
Mohsen Jalalpour, former president of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, says Iran is the second biggest producer of pistachio after the US and the top exporter of the product.
However, water shortage and climate change are affecting Iran’s pistachio orchards.
According to Jalalpour, between 8,000 and 12,000 hectares of Iran’s pistachio orchards are lost every year.
Correction (July 7, 2018): Pistachio output was initially reported 619,000 tons by Tehran Chamber of Commerce which was wrong. Pistachio exports were reported 131,000 tons by Tehran Chamber of Commerce which was wrong. TCCIM data about top export destinations were also wrong.
