PISTACHIO HARVEST IN CENTRAL IRAN
Pistachios have been cultivated in Iran for thousands of years and it is one of the top export products of Iran
Pistachio (PESTEH in Farsi) is one of the top export products of Iran. It is more than thousands of years that different types of Pistachios have been cultivated in the country. However, it is only almost 100 years that commercial cultivation of pistachios started.
In the 1950s, about 2,000 tons of pistachios have produced in the country. Later in 1975, it rose to 25,000 tones, and then exceeded to 150,000 tones in the closing years of the millennium.
There are only limited geographical locations which have favorable climatic conditions for pistachio production. Pistachio trees can survive temperatures ranging between −10 °C in winter and 48 °C in summer. In addition, most types of Pistachio trees need a sunny position and well-drained soil.
Currently, In Iran, approximately 150,000 farmers harvest the crop in Kerman, Yazd, Khorasan, and Fars, Semnan, Markazi, and some other provinces.