TEHRAN: During the first four months of the current Iranian calendar year (started on 21 March, 2015), Iran exported more than 16,000 tons of pistachio to the tune of $135 million to 46 countries across the world, showing a fifteen-fold rise compared to the same period last year.
In terms of weight, pistachio exports rose by nine folds in the fourth calendar month (started on June 22) compared to the same month last year. This is while there has been a smooth drop in pistachio price from $8.5 to $8.4.
During the preceding Iranian calendar month, more than 3,500 tons of pistachio worth less than $30 million was exported to different target markets.
Iran sold pistachio to the UAE, Britain, Belarus, Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Germany, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Spain, Australia, the Czech Republic, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Italy, Bahrain, Brazil, Bosnia, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Syria, Singapore, Sweden, Chile, Serbia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Poland, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, and Greece.
On April 17, Press TV quoted Ali Mohseni, an official with the Iranian Agriculture Ministry, as saying that Iran ousted the U.S. as the leading producer of pistachio nuts last year and reclaimed the position which it has long held to its credit.
He said production of the nut surpassed 235,000 tons thanks to satisfactory precipitations and Iran’s implementation of development measures for better yield.
Iran exported 180,262 tons of pistachio worth $1.62 billion last year. Those exports marked a 50% rise both in terms of volume and value, the official added.
