Iran’s annual pistachio exports projected to hit $1b

TEHRAN,Oct.9(MNA) - Iran is expected to earn $1.1 billion in pistachio exports this calendar year, which ends on March 20, 2013, the head of the association of Iranian pistachio farmers said. Mohsen Jalalipour told that 200,000 tons of pistachio is anticipated to be harvested in the current year, of which 120,000 tons will be exported. The last year’s output amounted to 160,000 tons, he said, adding that 15 percent of the output is supplied to the domestic market. Last year, 100,000 tons of pistachio was exported, he noted. On August 14, Jalalipour said Iran has been replaced by U.S. since 2011 as the leading pistachio producer in the world. He told that by 2011, Iran was the major pistachio producer with some 200,000 tons of annual output, but U.S. took the lead from Iran with producing 210,000 tons of pistachio.