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Iran is one of the largest pistachio producing countries in the world, and pistachios are one of Iran’s most valuable agricultural products. Pistachios are one of the most important export commodities of Iran. High quality varieties of pistachios are grown only in some countries of the world. Iranian pistachios are in great demand all over the world due to their suitable size, unique taste and excellent quality. Pistachios can be consumed both dried and fresh. The fresh pistachios are available only in the harvest season, while the dried ones are available at any time of the year. The dried pistachios are also available on the market in two forms: unshelled and shelled (pistachio kernels) and raw or salted. The original origin of pistachios is in Iran. About 4000 years ago, pistachios were cultivated in the south of Amu Darya, and then their cultivation became popular in the Middle East and other regions. The word pistachio comes from the ancient Persian language and then entered the language of Europeans. In the pistachio trade, Iran is one of the first countries to produce and export this product, and its main competitors in the market are the United States and Turkey.
Properties of pistachios
The pistachio is a small tree with the scientific name (Pistacia), of which there are 11 species worldwide, originating from the Middle East and Central Asia. The pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) is grown commercially in semi-arid regions around the globe. Archaeobotanical, genetic, and linguistic data suggest that the pistachio was brought into cultivation somewhere in its wild range, which spans southern Central Asia, northern Iran, and northern Afghanistan. Pistachio is a Persian word that entered European languages via Latin and is known throughout the world as pistachio. Cashew nut, pistachio and mango belong to the Anacardiaceae family and are botanically related. The pistachio tree has wide spreading branches. Pistachio seedlings reach a height of 6-10 meters in the final stage of growth.
All pistachio species are adapted to cold winters and long hot and dry seasons. This tree is suitable for long dry periods. Pistachios are characterized by a long juvenile period and usually bear few nuts before they are five years old. The tree tends to alternate bearing (i.e., it bears many fruits one year and few fruits the following year). Factors responsible for these yield differences include weather at flowering, light exposure, carbohydrate accumulation, pruning method, and other environmental conditions. Pistachio trees are generally upright, but they can vary depending on the species. Pistachio trees are dicotyledonous in the sense that male and female flowers are formed on different trees, and there are not both male and female flowers on a tree. The male and female flowers appear in spring before the leaves. They are in dense or loose greenish clusters.
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The pollination of this plant is done by the wind and then the inner and outer shell of its fruit (pistachio seed) is fertilized. Once enlarged, the kernel grows and fills the shell. After ripening, the pistachio kernels reach their largest size and break naturally.
Fresh or dried pistachios, shelled or unshelled, are known by the international code (HS code): 080250, fresh or dried shelled pistachios are known by the code 080251 and fresh or dried pistachio kernels are known by the code 080252 worldwide.
Benefits of pistachios and nutritional value
– Pistachios as one of the nuts are a rich source of dietary fiber. Fiber not only improves the digestion of food, but also has a positive effect on the good bacteria in the intestine. In addition to fiber, pistachios are rich in protein, minerals such as iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc and magnesium, as well as unsaturated fats that can help control blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also contributes to weight loss. The iron it contains is also useful for people suffering from anemia.
– Pistachios are rich in vitamins A, D, E, K and folic acid.
– Pistachios are unique because they calm and relax the heart and nerves.
Pistachios are not only rich in antioxidants, but can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease. They also strengthen the immune system.
– Growth of the brain and increase intelligence and memory with the help of omega-3 fatty acids. Improves growth, strengthens bones and teeth due to the calcium contained in the pistachio seeds.
– Pistachio nutrients include lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants important for eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin have been shown to reduce the risk of developing cataracts and protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
– Eating pistachios and their derivatives such as pistachio oil is beneficial for hair health. Pistachio oil contains high levels of antioxidants and vitamin E, both of which contribute to the rejuvenation of the skin by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and improving skin flexibility.
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Suggested article: Iran Export Potential: Cumin Export
Growing conditions for pistachios
Temperature: pistachio trees grow best and produce the most nuts in a dry semi-desert climate with long, dry, hot summers (tolerates heat up to 45 degrees), low humidity, and cool but not freezing winters (tolerates cold between -7 and -9 degrees). Harvest time is late September, and the plant is sensitive to spring cold and is damaged, and although it is heat resistant, it also burns its fruit in very hot weather. The peculiarity of this plant is that, being a deciduous tree, it needs an optimal number of hours of cold in winter to flower and produce a good harvest. The Kale ghoochi variety had the lowest chilling requirement (600 hours), while the Akbari variety had the highest (1200 hours). Failure to meet chilling requirements results in a delay in bud opening and low crop production. Depending on the variety, pistachios must receive between 2200 and 2800 heat units for bud development and fruit ripening. The need for heat units also varies, of course, and is determined by calculating the ratio between several factors such as the average monthly minimum and maximum temperature and the number of days in the first six months of the year.
Soil: Heavy soils are not suitable for the growth of pistachio trees; they thrive best in sandy-loamy soils. Suitable soil pH should be between 7 and 5.7. Propagation of pistachios is carried out by two methods: stratification, broad seeding and then grafting (the most common method). As mentioned at the beginning, pistachio trees are dicotyledonous, so the male and female varieties should be planted together in the garden. However, farmers in Iran usually plant Badami Zarand pistachio seeds first and graft them after 2 to 3 years. The most common way of grafting in Iran is the so-called flute grafting, which is done in late May and early June.
Water: although pistachio is very drought resistant, it should not be neglected, especially when young. On average, depending on the soil conditions, the following watering cycle is recommended for water maintenance, depending on the age of the tree: (except in winter)
– Tree aged 1 to 3 years: Watering cycle 7 to 10 days
– Tree aged 3 to 6 years: Watering cycle 12 to 20 days
– Tree aged 6 years and older: one-month irrigation cycle
It should be noted that a one-month irrigation cycle requires a lot of water to be applied to the tree at each irrigation to allow moisture to fully penetrate the soil. Drip irrigation, which is one of the best irrigation methods, has recently been used in some pistachio plantations in Iran. In this method, the tree is drip irrigated in a period of 3 days, and the interval between each irrigation is 15 days. Water consumption is reduced to one-third in this method.
Different types of pistachios
In-shell pistachios are divided into three main groups: round, long, and jumbo. Further groups can be defined on the basis of the flowering period and the time of harvest.
In the second subdivision, pistachios are divided into three groups based on their flowering time: Early flowering, middle flowering, and late flowering.
In the next classification, pistachio varieties are divided into five groups according to their ripening time: Very early, early, medium ripe, late ripe, very late ripe.
In Iran, there are more than 70 varieties of male and female pistachios. Specifically, pistachios in Iran are named as follows: Ahmad Aghaei, Akbari, Kale Ghoochi, Ohadi, etc.
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Types of Iranian pistachios
1) Ohadi: Ohadi pistachio is one of the most exported pistachios of Iran and is grown in most gardens of the country, but the main production of this product takes place in Rafsanjan gardens. This pistachio belongs to the group of round pistachios. It is an early to medium flowering variety whose fruits ripen early (from August 23 to 31). The smile percentage is high, the color of the nut is purple and the shell is light cream. This variety of pistachio is very little affected by diseases and pests.
2) Kale Ghoochi Pistachio: It is one of the largest exported pistachios of Iran. Kale Ghoochi pistachio is one of the jumbo pistachios, which bloom early and mature medium early (September 1 to 10). Its smile percentage is average and the color of the nuts is red. It has high productivity and due to its higher production it has a better price than Akbari pistachio. The buyers of this pistachio variety are mainly from Asian and European countries.
3) Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio: Ahmad Aghaei Pistachio is mainly grown in Kerman province. It belongs to the long, medium flowering and late maturing varieties (from September 11 to 21). 90% of the production of this pistachio is exported abroad, and most of the customers are from European countries. It has a good taste, its nut is red and its shell is light cream.
4) Akbari pistachio: It is one of the most famous export pistachios of Iran in the world and is known as Iranian pistachio. This pistachio, like Ahmad Aghaei pistachio, belongs to the long pistachio category. It is grown in the provinces of Kerman, Yazd, Semnan and Khorasan. In Kerman province, it is mainly grown in Rafsanjan city. The color of the nut is purple-brown and the shell is dark cream. Due to its shape, beautiful appearance and good quality, it has a high price and most buyers come from countries around the Persian Gulf.
5) Badami Pistachio: The almond-shaped pistachio has a long appearance and is grown in the gardens of Zarand, Kerman, Yazd and Khorasan. It is one of the medium flowering and very early maturing varieties (until August 22). Most buyers are from Afghanistan, Russia and China.
6) Khanjari Damghan Pistachios: This variety of pistachio is grown exclusively in Damghan and is very similar to the Ahmad Aghaei pistachio, except that the ends of its two edges are sharp like a dagger and have a bow. This pistachio is long and almond-shaped, blooms late and ripens early (from August 23 to 31). The color of the nut is green and the shell is dark. Because of the heavy weight of the shell, the nut is mainly used.
7) Shahpasand Damghan Pistachio: It is one of the commercial and export varieties. Almond shaped and long, late flowering, medium ripening time (September 1 to 10) and the color of the shell is white.
Other varieties of Iranian pistachios are Mumtaz, Qazvini, White Noogh and Abbas Ali pistachios.ش
Properties of pistachios that are exported
When exporting pistachios, various parameters such as the standards of the country, culture, consumption, market price and quality must be taken into account. For example, health standards, especially aflatoxin certification, are important for European markets. Because Akbari pistachios stay on the tree longer than other pistachio varieties, they absorb more aflatoxin and are not suitable for export to European countries. Moreover, pistachios with round and small shape are preferred by Europeans. With this description, Kale Ghoochi and Ohadi pistachios are suitable for the European market. In the European market, a pistachio with an aflatoxin certificate has a high price, so the exported pistachios must be of high health and quality. Due to its smaller size, Ohadi pistachio has a cheaper price and is more in demand. The purchase of pistachios from Germany is widespread. Of course, other varieties of Iranian pistachios are also exported to Europe. In Italy, for example, the demand for Ahmad Aghaei pistachios is the highest.
The conditions for exporting pistachios to Arab countries are completely different from those for exporting pistachios to Europe. This is because export to these countries does not require aflatoxin certification, and the customs regulations of the consignor and consignee are sufficient. Therefore, it can be said that the variety of exported pistachios is greater for these countries. Arab buyers pay more attention to the coarseness and elongated appearance of pistachios, so Ohadi pistachios are not suitable for Arab markets. The Akbari and Ahmad Aghaei varieties of pistachios are exported to Arab countries.
Russia is one of the export destinations for Iranian pistachios. The criterion of Russian buyers is the price of pistachios. Abkhandan pistachios (pistachios that have a small nut compared to the shell) are used for export to Russia. Abkhandan Ahmed Aghaei pistachio is the best pistachio for export to Russia due to its good quality and reasonable price. The quality of pistachios can be best recognized by their appearance. When preparing in-shell pistachios, the outer shell must be without blemishes and have a cream color. If it is too cracked and the nut is small, the pistachios are probably mechanically cracked. Pistachios that have not opened completely and are difficult to shell are also not ripe. The color of the pistachios should be yellow or dark green. The greener the color, the better they taste. Cloudy color, old smell, softness and signs of mold are signs of poor quality and old pistachios.
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The four main examples of pistachios exported from Iran:
1-Ohadi pistachio
2- Kale ghoochi pistachios
3- Ahmad Aghaei
4- Akbari Pistachio
Global trade in pistachios
In the last decade, the pistachio industry has become one of the most competitive economic sectors, which has brought many profits to the leading pistachio producing countries. With the increase in pistachio consumption during the Covid 19 pandemic, this booming industry may also have attracted the attention of many farmers and exporters around the world.
In 2021, the export value of fresh or dried in-shell pistachios (HS code 080250) worldwide was US$3,650,047 thousand. About 78% (2,855,689 thousand US dollars) was the export value of pistachios in shell and 794,358 thousand US dollars was the export value of pistachio nuts. It can be seen from the table below that the countries of America with 57%, Iran with 24% and Germany with 3% of the total value of pistachio exports in the world ranked first to third.
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In the export of pistachio nuts, Iran ranks first with 27% of the total export value of pistachio nuts in the world. Turkey, America and Germany are also ranked second to fourth.
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According to statistics available on the Trade Map website, the value of imports of fresh or dried pistachios in the shell (HS code 080250) amounted to 3,553,453 thousand US dollars worldwide in 2021. About 76% (2,722,964 thousand US dollars) was export value of in-shell pistachios and 830,489 thousand US dollars was export value of pistachio nuts.
According to the following table, the countries: China with 30%, Germany with 14.5% and Spain with 4.7% of the total import value of in-shell pistachios are the largest importers of in-shell pistachios in the world.
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In terms of pistachio imports, Germany ranks first in the world, accounting for 18% of the total value of pistachio exports. Other countries: Italy, India and Saudi Arabia also rank second to fourth.
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Pistachio producing countries in the world
The major producing countries for pistachios are the United States, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Greece. About 97% of the pistachios grown in the United States come from a female variety called Kerman and a male variety called Peters. The Kerman variety of pistachio was brought to California in 1929 with seeds from Rafsanjan, and after a few years this variety was widely grown in the United States along with a male variety called Peters.
Statistics of Iranian pistachio exports
The total export value of fresh or dried in-shell pistachios from Iran amounted to 914,428 thousand US dollars in 2021. About 696,043 thousand US dollars were accounted for by pistachios in shell and 218,385 thousand by pistachio nuts.
Iran accounts for 24.4% of the world’s pistachio exports. Iran ranks 2nd in the world in exporting this product and its export concentration is 0.12. China imports the most in-shell pistachios from Iran (28%). After China, India, Russia and Iraq are the next importers of this product from Iran.
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Iran accounts for 27.5% of the world’s exports of pistachio nuts. Iran ranks first in the world in exports of this product and its export concentration is 0.14. In 2021, Germany, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq were the largest buyers of pistachio nuts from Iran.
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Pistachio growing regions in Iran
Pistachios can be grown in most regions of Iran, but it is important to choose areas that are economical for growing this product. Paying attention to the climatic conditions of the region and matching them with suitable conditions for pistachio cultivation, the cultivation will be successful and produce a healthy product of good quantity and quality. In Iran, the provinces of Semnan (Damghan), Kerman (cities of Rafsanjan, Sirjan, Anar, Zarand, Koshkuiyeh), Razavi Khorasan (Bardaskan, Mahvelat, Khalil Abad), Qazvin (Bueenzahra City), Yazd (Abarkuh), The province of Fars (Neyrizcity), markazi Province, Isfahan, Sistan and Baluchistan, and Tehran are the main centers of pistachio cultivation in Iran, and about 80% of the pistachios produced in Iran are obtained from these areas.
Perspective of the pistachio market in the world
The global pistachio market was valued at USD 3,907.07 million in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 5,282.52 million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.7% during the forecast period 2022-2029. Emphasis on healthy eating habits by consumers to prevent diseases such as cholesterol, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc., has led them to use more organic, healthy, harmful, and nutritious products such as pistachios, and this issue is one of the reasons for the growth of the market for this product as compared to the previous forecast period. Moreover, increasing consumer awareness about the benefits and uses of pistachios has provided positive opportunities to the market for this product and will increase the growth rate of the pistachios market in the future. Moreover, the use of pistachios as a flavoring agent in some breads and food products will also create various growth opportunities in the market.
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- The Wonderful Company LLC. (U.S.)
- Horizon Growers (U.S.)
- Nichols Farms(U.S.)
- Keenan Farms (U.S.)
- Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. (U.S.)
- Whistler Foods (New Zealand)
- Sierra Nut House (U.S.)
- Houston Pecan (U.S.)
- BATES NUT FARM (U.S.)
- hopeandarley (U.S.)
- SANTA BARBARA PISTACHIO COMPANY (U.S.)
- Specialty Food Association, Inc. (U.S.)
- Germack Pistachio Company, LLC (U.S.)
- Bazzini (U.S.), Besana (Italy)
- Lubeca (Denmark)
- Puratos (Belgium)
- Lemke (Germany)
Perspective of pistachio market in Iran
First, the leading pistachio producing cities are still able to supply most of Iran’s annual pistachio crop. Second, the good news is that the cultivation of pistachio trees has expanded to other cities, especially in the north of Iran. These cities, including Mashhad and Tehran, have more suitable weather conditions and better water resources. Therefore, they are more likely to become prosperous pistachio-producing cities in Iran. Since these orchards were established recently, they are more systematic. The pistachio trees have been grown more professionally and according to modern methods. This cultivation method has resulted in a higher production volume in Iran with a much more uniform harvest. Ultimately, it is estimated that pistachio production in Iran will level off at 200,000 MT (give or take) in the coming years.
