A total of $327 million worth of pistachio were exported from Iran during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2022-Jan. 20), according to the Agriculture Ministry.
Official data indicate a sizable decline in the value of shipments this year, Mehr News Agency reported
According to an Agriculture Ministry official, Daryoush Salempour, exports stood at $915 million in the last Iranian year (March 2021-22), which accounted for half of Iran’s horticultural exports’ value over the period.
“Pistachio orchards, which account for 20% of Iran’s total number of orchards, are mainly located in the provinces of Kerman, Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, Yazd, Fars, Semnan, Markazi, Qom, Qazvin, Sistan-Baluchestan, Tehran and Isfahan,” he said.
Salempour noted that drought, frost, depletion of groundwater and water salinity are posing a serious threat to Iran’s pistachio orchards.
Iran’s pistachio exports have been declining since the fiscal 2007-08 when exports of the products reached 265,000 tons.
Last year (March 2021-22), the figure stood at 135,000 tons.