According to Iranian media Tehran Times, a member of the Iran Pistachio Association earlier stated that Iran’s pistachio production is expected to triple in the current year of the Iranian calendar (as of March 20, 2024). Based on this production forecast, Iran's pistachio exports that year may reach US$1.5 billion. Jalil Karbakhsh Davari said, "It is estimated that 200,000-210,000 tons of dry pistachios will be produced from 450,000 hectares of land this year, which is three times more than last year."
Iran is the world's second largest pistachio exporter after the United States. According to data from the Iranian Pistachio Association, the current average annual export volume is about 160,000 tons (based on shelled dried fruits). Most of Iran's exports are raw pistachios in bulk, dried shelled pistachios, pistachio kernels and green peeled pistachio kernels. In order of export volume, its main consumer markets are the Far East, the European Union, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and the CIS countries. But the export market for Iranian pistachios is increasingly shifting from rich countries to developing countries.
China is one of the main importers of Iranian pistachios. According to statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture, China's imports of Iranian pistachios peaked in the 2020/21 season, exceeding 80,000 tons (calculated as shelled fruits), and then declined, falling to 30,000 tons in the 2021/22 season. China Customs statistics show that in 2023, China imported 5,325 tons of shelled pistachios from Iran, worth RMB 242 million, and imported 77 tons of shelled pistachios, worth RMB 17.12 million.
In the European Union, another important market for Iranian pistachios, exports are also declining. According to data released by Eurostat, Iran exported pistachios worth 92 million euros to EU member states in 2023. In 2022, Iran exported pistachios worth 111 million euros to the EU. Based on the above data, compared with 2022, Iran's pistachio exports to the EU fell by 17% in 2023.
Over the past decade, climate change has caused severe droughts in Iran, causing 85% of the country to be classified as arid or semi-arid. Average annual rainfall has fallen, and surface water shortages have forced farmers to dig more wells to pump groundwater. Nearly half of the 750,000 wells dug on Iranian farms are illegal, showing why unrestricted use of groundwater in agriculture is a major cause of water waste in the country.
During the past 1401st year of the Iranian calendar (as of March 20, 2023), Iran exported 56,298 tons of pistachios to 57 countries, worth US$405.04 million. Annual export data show that compared with the same period last year, export value fell by 55.7% and export volume fell by 58.4%. Hossein Rezaei, secretary-general of the Iranian Pistachio Association, previously stated that in the 1400th year of the Iranian calendar (as of March 20, 2022), Iran’s pistachio production dropped by 70,000 tons and hovered at About 150,000 tons.
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