TEHRAN- Iran’s pistachio exports doubled in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-October 22), compared to the same period of time in the previous year.

The country exported 44,100 tons of pistachio worth $360 million in the seven-month period, being doubled from 22,700 tons valued at $183.3 million during the same time last year, the Tasnim News Agency reported on Saturday.

Iran exported 18,900 tons of pistachio worth $152.5 million in the seventh Iranian calendar months of Mehr (September 22-October 22), showing 14 percent and 15 percent growth in weight and value, respectively, compared to the same month in the past year.

Pistachio was Iran’s major non-oil exported item in Mehr and the country’s tenth main non-oil exported item in the first seven months of the current calendar year.

Meanwhile, Ramezan Rouintan, an official at the Iranian Agriculture Ministry, said 250,000 tons of pistachio is estimated to be produced in the country by the end of current Iranian calendar year (which will end on March 19, 2016), the Mehr News Agency reported on Saturday.

The official said 70 countries buys Iran’s pistachio, among them Hong Kong and some European countries are the leading importers of the product.

On April 17, Press TV quoted Ali Mohseni, an official with the Iranian Agriculture Ministry, as saying that Iran ousted the U.S. as the leading producer of pistachio nuts last year and reclaimed the position which it has long held to its credit.   

He said production of the nut surpassed 235,000 tons thanks to satisfactory precipitations and Iran’s implementation of development measures for better yield. 

Iran exported 180,262 tons of pistachio worth $1.62 billion last year. Those exports marked a 50 percent rise both in terms of volume and value, the official added.  

The country hopes to raise the worth of its pistachio exports to $2 billion in the current calendar year. 

MA/