February 21-2014
After years of avoiding mention of American pistachios, the Iranian Pistachio Association has finally acknowledged that the United States far outproduces Iran.
The president of the organizations, Mohsen Jalalpur, told reporters that Iranian production has fallen from a high of 280,000 tons a year to 150,000 tons currently, while US production, which did not exist at the time of the revolution, now has risen to 270,000 tons a year.
Almost all American pistachios are produced in northern California, and a significant number of the farm owners are Iranians who fled from the revolution, although Jalalpur did not mention that.
Jalalpur said, “It is to be regretted that California is now called the world center of pistachio production,” whereas Kerman province had previously held that title for centuries.
Jalalpur also regretted that he has found some California pistachios being sold in Iranian markets, although their quality “is in no way comparable to the Iranian pistachio.”
