TEHRAN – Iran exported €64.228 million worth of pistachios to Europe during the current year’s January-April period, according to the data released by the European Union's statistics agency (Eurostat).

Based on the Eurostat data, Iran's pistachio exports to the European Union decreased 15 percent in the mentioned four months compared to the same period last year, IRNA reported.

In the first four months of 2021, Iran had exported €75.597 million worth of pistachios to the union.

During the said four months, shelled pistachio exports to Europe dropped 43 percent compared to the same period last year and reached €27.456 million. The Islamic Republic had exported €48.506 million worth of shelled pistachios to Europe in the first four months of 2021.

The exports of pistachio kernels, however, experienced a significant growth of 36 percent in the period under review compared to the same four months in the previous year. During this period €36.772 million worth of pistachio kernels were exported to Europe compared to the €27.091 million in 2021.

Germany, Spain and Italy were among the top importers of Iranian pistachios in the first four months of 2022.

According to Eurostat, Iran's pistachio export to Europe amounted to €192 million in 2021, which was not changed significantly compared to the €191 million in 2020.

Iran exported 135,322 tons of pistachio worth $914,427,826 during the previous Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20).

According to Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran’s pistachio was exported to 75 countries during the year 1400.

Of the total exported pistachios in the previous year, 115,557 tons were unshelled fresh pistachios, the value of which was about $696,043,124.

Germany, with $50 million worth of imports, India with $44 million, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with $29 million, Iraq with $25 million, and Turkey with $13 million were the top five export destinations for dried pistachios.

However, in total, China was the first export destination for the Iranian product importing $199 million worth of pistachios, followed by India, Russia, Iraq, and Kyrgyzstan which imported $85 million, $53 million, $50 million, and $45 million of pistachios, respectively.

EF/MA