TEHRAN- Iran has exported 15,981 tons of pistachios worth $109.714 million to 44 countries during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-August 22), an official with the Central Organization for Rural Cooperatives of Iran said.

According to Ruhollah Latifi, the five-month export fell one percent in terms of value, and six percent in terms of weight, year on year.

Russia, Germany, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kirgizstan, and China were the main export destinations of Iranian pistachio during the first five months of the present year, according to the official.

Although Iran is mostly known for its vast hydrocarbon resources, there are some other precious products that people all around the world put the Iranian brand on and appreciate greatly, one such product is Iranian “green gold” or pistachio.

Iran exported 56,298 tons of pistachio worth $405.04 million to 57 countries during the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (ended on March 20).

The annual export indicates a 55.7 percent fall in value and a 58.4 percent drop in weight, year on year.

Over the past decade, climate change has caused severe drought in Iran, leading to 85 percent of the country being classified as arid or semi-arid. The decline in annual average rainfall and shortage of surface water has forced farmers to dig more wells to pump water from underground reserves. Nearly half of the 750,000 wells dug in Iranian farms are illegal, which indicates why the unconstrained use of underground water in agriculture is the main source of water waste in the country.

MA