Challenges of pistachio production in Iran

Production of more than 50% of the country's pistachios in Kerman

The Secretary General of Iran Pistachio Association said in this conference: The pistachio production statistics from 2012 to 1400 show that more than 50 to 60 percent of the country's production is related to Kerman province.

Hossein Rezaei added: Now 267 cities in 27 provinces cultivate pistachios, and the increase in the cultivation of this product is expanding to the west of the country. Iranian Pistachio

He stated: Apart from a few northe and southe provinces, pistachios have been opened to other parts of the country because people have come to an economic analysis that this product is more profitable.

One dollar per cubic meter of water

Referring to the important issue of water supply in pistachio orchards, the Secretary General of the Iranian Pistachio Association said: Basically, poor quality water is considered for this product, which has its own outlet, but if the water quality is improved, the product will also be better and attention should be paid. It was said that every cubic meter of water for pistachio cultivation brings one dollar of currency into the country.

He stated that the most currency eaers due to the consumption of water are rosehips, barberry, saffron, pistachio and watermelon, and said: Of course, in our opinion, the fact that watermelon is watery despite the currency gain of this product is a wrong assumption.

Rezaei added: In the conditions of the worst decline in pistachio harvest in 2017, our total production was 50 thousand tons per year, which caused us to be unable to maintain the global markets and it took us a year and a half to find our previous market.

He stated: This year, 53,000 tons of the 135,000 tons of pistachio production in the country belonged to Kerman province, and this amount of produce was harvested from 200,000 hectares of orchards in this province.

The Secretary General of Iran Pistachio Association also said: The average harvest of pistachios in the country is estimated at 350 kilos per hectare, which is very small compared to our main competitor, America.

He continued: In 2015, our production exceeded that of the United States, but more than half of our crop was destroyed due to some pests and lack of care, and the United States has produced more than 400,000 tons since 2015.

The Secretary General of the Iranian Pistachio Association added: "The presence of the United States in the global competitive market has not caused any problems for us and today, compared to the time when our production was equal to the United States, the price of pistachios has tripled."

Rezaei reminded: America produces 400,000 tons from its 135,000 hectares of pistachio orchards, which means that one-third of us have under-cultivated land, but it produces three times as much as we do, which is debatable.

Reasons for reduced production

He stated: The decrease in Iran's pistachio production has reasons such as climate change, quantitative and qualitative reduction of water resources, small ownership of water and land laws, traditional methods of irrigation and traditional gardening without bedding.

The Secretary General of the Iranian Pistachio Association stated: Water is brought from the Persian Gulf for industry, but not for agriculture, and the gardener has come to the conclusion that he must increase his production by reducing water.