Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 10
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran has exported 57,000 tons of open in-shell pistachio, worth $463 million during the first nine months of the current solar year(started on March 21, 2013) which indicates a decline of 23.04 percent in terms of volume and 23.45 percent in terms of value respectively compared to same period of the previous solar year.
Open in-shell pistachio rank 10th on Iran's exported non-oil goods list, according to the Iranian Custom Administration's latest monthly report released on Jan. 10.
Pistachio also topped the list of country's food and agricultural exports.
The exported Open in-shell pistachio's average price stood at $8.1 per each kilogram in the mentioned period.
Open in-shell pistachio shared 2.2 percent of the Iran's non-oil exports in terms of value in the nine-month period.
Iran exported pistachio to 55 countries. Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Vietnam, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Afghanistan, and India were the main 10 destinations for Iran's exported pistachio.
Iran will produce 160,000 tons of pistachio in the current Iranian calendar year, head of Iran's Pistachio Producers and Exporters Union, Mohsen Jalalpour said on Dec. 9, adding that "The predicted figure was around 190,000 tons."
"Pests, water shortage, and climate difficulties are among the major reasons that prevented farmers from reaching the set goal,' he explained.
Head of Iran's Nuts and Dried Fruits Sellers Union said in August that Iran may lose its stance as world's largest pistachio exporter in near future.
"Iran's pistachio exports have faced a 20 - 30 per cent decrease due to Forex price fluctuations," the ISNA News Agency quoted Mostafa Ahmadi as saying.
"The U.S. will take Iran's position as the world's biggest pistachio exporter unless Iran increases its production," he said.
Edited by C.N.
