United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s recently released report shows that the global production of pistachios is expected to climb to 814, 000 tons (with Shells) in the 2018/19 season (2018/09 ~ 2019/08), up nearly 165, 000 tons from the previous quarter. In the middle of this season, U. S. and Turkey’s output will pick up and both will have the optimal production season in history. The strong performance of pistachios in both countries is enough to make up for Iran’s sharp drop in output. With the abundance of production, the global consumption of pistachios will also set a new historical record in 2018/19, with an estimated 743, 000 tons.

Iran:

Kerman province in the south is Iran’s largest pistachio producing area. According to reports from the “Iranian Pistachio Association”, the province suffered severe weather during the germination period of pistachios, causing heavy losses in production. The national output in 2018/19 is expected to be only 52,000 tons, down nearly 173,000 tons from the previous quarter. Exports will also have to drop from 105,000 tons last quarter to 50,000 tons, and exports to China, the EU and Turkey will also decrease.

United States:

as the harvest of pistachios coincides with the new year and the harvest area also increases, the output of pistachios in the 2018/19 season in the United States will increase by 179,000 tons to 451,000 tons. Due to Iran’s weak performance in pistachio exports, U. S. Exports will also reach an all-time high of 250,000 tons, up 35,000 tons from last quarter. Shipments to overseas markets such as China, EU and Canada will all increase. (This seasons data on American pistachios come from the Administrative Committee for Pistachios; last quarters data came from the National Agricultural Statistics Service)

Turkey:

Turkey also welcomed the annual harvest of pistachios. The country’s output in 2018/19 will jump 160,000 tons to 240,000 tons. However, Turkey’s pistachio production is mainly for the local market.

China:

China is the world’s largest importer of pistachios, with imports of 115, 000 tons and 111,000 tons respectively in the last two quarters (2016/17 and 2017/18). China’s pistachio imports in 2018/19 will drop slightly to about 100, 000 tons due to a sharp drop in output from Iran, the main exporting country. Although the impact of retaliatory tariffs continues, US pistachio exports to China are still expected to grow this season.

In terms of the local production, China’s pistachio cultivation is still in its infancy. Many enterprises have been actively exploring pistachio varieties and farming techniques suitable for China in Xinjiang. According to previous forecasts, China will produce 300 tons of pistachios in 2018/19, with a total planting area of only 60,000 mu.