Pistachio cultivation continues to expand in Spain, where the production is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. "Between 70,000 and 75,000 hectares are planted, but only about 10,000 hectares can be harvested for now, so the production is expected to increase eightfold in the next 5-6 years," says Javier Moreno, manager of the pistachio tree cultivation specialist company Mister Pistachio. "Still, this growth will be more progressive than linear."
"Historically, pistachios have been planted in dryland areas, but in recent years, this trend has reversed. There has been a shift, from 70% of the acreage being in dryland areas to more than 60% of the crops being irrigated, with the latter yielding higher returns. Many new irrigated plantations have been set up in 2023, so in about 5 or 6 years, when all those hectares of irrigated land come into production, we will see the greatest increase in the Spanish pistachio production."
"Moreover, consumption trends are going hand in hand with these growth forecasts, as pistachios are increasingly becoming a trendy ingredient;" in cooking, baking and also for the production of ice cream, which is a large industry demanding pistachios, with Italy standing out the most.
"Italy doesn't have large pistachio productions. Only in Bronte, Sicily, where it grows biannually, so the product needs to be imported, mainly from Iran, the United States or Turkey, but also from Spain, which has the advantage of being a commercial partner within the European Union, so payments can be made in euros, and it is a nearby market that is just a truck ride away."
"As for the sale of pistachio plants, 2024 has started off better than how 2023 ended. We are seeing a greater interest and more requests for quotes, and the latest rains have helped encourage companies and agricultural producers to consider new investments."
Rising prices of grains for processing
Prices are one of the main reasons why pistachio cultivation is on the rise in Spain. At the Talavera market, the conventional open Kerman type of size 18-20 went from 5.80 to 6.00 euros per kilo at origin. Size 21-22 remained stable at 5.40 euros/kilo, and size 23-25 stood at 4.95 euros/kilo. The grain remained stable at 8.60 euros/kilo.
There has been a remarkable rise in the price of pistachio grains for processing, with 15.88 euros/kilo recorded (+1.38 euros/kilo compared to the previous month) for the conventional Kerman type (18.85 euros/kilo for the organic; +1.75 euros/kilo), and 19.00 euros/kilo for the conventional Larnaka type (20.00 euros/kilo for the organic).
"This shows that there is demand in the industry, which is where pistachio grains are headed. And although the snack market is still larger than the industry market, at the rate it's growing, it cannot be ruled out that in a few years, processed pistachio consumption will be almost on par with that of snack pistachios."
"There are examples showing how consumers demand these processed products. A famous international ice cream brand has had to intermittently de-stock its pistachio-flavored ice cream because it is unable to produce it at the rate it is consumed globally, and the pistachio cream launched in a commercial test by a well-known Spanish supermarket chain sold out within hours."
For more information:
Mister Pistacho
Camino de Hontanilla, 1
45360. Villarrubia de Santiago, Toledo, Spain
Tel.: +34 667 35 90 48
info@misterpistacho.es
https://misterpistacho.es