Iranian pistachios are about to sell out! The new season's production may reach 240,000 tons.

The Iranian Pistachio Association (IPA) recently released statistics showing that shipments of Iranian pistachios for the 2024/25 crop season reached nearly 6,000 tons in the 11th month (July 22 to August 22). The market situation for that month continued the trend of previous months: transactions for pistachios in shell remained sluggish due to high prices and limited supply, while demand for kernels remained strong, driving export growth to almost all destinations. The shipment volume of pistachio kernels (calculated by shell weight) for that month accounted for about two-thirds of the total exports. Only the South Asian region showed relatively high demand for pistachios in shell, possibly due to pre-Diwali purchases.

Since the beginning of the season, the export volume of pistachios in shell has reached 192,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 54%, marking a very impressive season for the Iranian pistachio industry. The price competitiveness of Iranian pistachios, limited supply from other producing regions, and the rapid increase in global food industry consumption of Iranian pistachio kernels are the main reasons for this achievement. As of August 22, only 10,000 tons (calculated by shell weight) remained in stock, and with only one month left in the season, the Iranian Pistachio Association will likely need to adjust its initial estimates for the 2024/25 crop season before the end of the year.

Since the start of the 2024/25 season, total exports of Iranian pistachios to China have reached 27,822 tons, a 55% increase from the same period in the previous season, which was 17,959 tons.

The pistachio in shell market remains stagnant as it awaits the new crop season, and fluctuations in the US dollar to Iranian rial exchange rate have added to the uncertainty in the local market. Meanwhile, strong demand for various types of kernels is driving the Iranian pistachio market.

2025/26 Crop Season

The official forecast from the association predicts that the 2025/26 crop season will yield 240,000 tons of Iranian dried pistachios in shell. The composition of the new crop's yield is expected to be: long-kernel varieties at 55% (Ahmad Aqhayi at 30%, Akbari at 15%, and other long-kernel varieties at 10%), and round-kernel varieties at 45% (ordinary round-kernel at 30%, extra-large kernels at 15%). Most production areas seem to be experiencing an extra-large bumper year for extra-large varieties, while the Akbari variety is expected to have a relatively lower yield due to high temperatures during its flowering period in April 2025.

The harvesting of unripe pistachios (Kaal) started in August and is nearing completion. In terms of quantity, the harvest of unripe pistachios this year seems to be smaller, while the price is significantly higher than that of the 2024/25 crop season. This situation will have a significant impact on the supply and demand trends in the green de-shelled pistachio kernel market in the coming weeks. The definition of "Kaal" has been expanded: originally referring mainly to early harvested de-shelled green kernels for the European Union, it now extends to a range of early harvested deep green kernels to mid-season varieties with higher yields but lighter color, driven by demand from the Middle East and India.

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