What To Know About The Iranian Pistachio Market September 2021

This season, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the Iranian pistachio industry. With protests and a water crisis to boot, market conditions have been unpredictable. Yet, there is little known about how these factors are actually impacting the industry itself. Luckily, for this market update, we were able to find out what’s affecting the pistachio crops in Iran. 

An Update On The Crop Itself

The total pistachio crop harvest is 150,000 tonnes which is a decrease from last year. There have been several climatic factors that led to this including spring frost and a drought that has overtaken the country in the past year.

While the harvest volume is low, the good news is that the quality is quite good with the crops being just a bit on the smaller size. This hasn’t deterred the demand for Iranian pistachios but given the climatic conditions, farmers predict that there won’t be enough pistachios for the following year.

If the expected rainy season doesn’t arrive next year, there will not be enough pistachio crops next year either and may even through the harvest volume under 100,000 tonnes which would mean trouble in the market.

How Did Iran Get Here?

Iran’s current situation, though complex, is not something which developed over the span of the last few months. Some even say that it was expected, with clear indications of a water shortage.

Many rivers and natural reservoirs have consistently been drying for several years now, with little to no action from the government or local authorities. This has sparked deadly protests in various regions around the country, with some protestors chanting: “I am thirsty!” in order to get someone to listen to their plight.

The situation is further complicated with the fact that over one-third of the country’s crops rely solely on rain which has been costly this year.