Global pistachio production and marketing challenges in Iran
A.S. Mozaffari Nejad
Acta Horticulturae 963: 133-141. 2012.
2012
บทคัดย่อ
Export of agriculture products has an important role in non-petroleum export and has specific significance among the agriculture product of pistachio, its export from Iran going to parts of the world since 2500 years ago. Pistachio figures prominently among other nuts due to its nutritious value. Pistachio trees are the second plant (after date) that can be alive for a long time without water. Until 1979, Iran was the only unique exporter of pistachio that entered into the world market through offering the pistachios product of California with competitive qualification and use of facilities. According to the latest statistics released by the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) affiliated to the United Nations, the pistachio production in the world stood at 548,759 metric tons (MTs) in 2002, Iran ranking first with a production of 300,000 MTs. The pistachio gardens in Iran’s rival country, the US occupies a total area of 44,000 hectares vs. 280,000 hectares in Iran. Aflatoxin is one of the serious problems in pistachio industries, some pistachios have suitable conditions for growth of fungus within the fruit, which are the basis of aflatoxin, because of different reasons, the most important of them being splitting of the external green layer of the fruit and maybe with aflatoxin. Therefore maximum levels for aflatoxin should be determined. In this study, weather conditions for pistachio planting, provinces that are planting pistachio in Iran and statistics of pistachio production in these provinces, kinds of pistachio existing in Iran, statistic study of Iran pistachio export during a few years using valid resources and strategies to increase Iran pistachio export in global markets are discussed.