Foreign markets play a critical role in the U.S. pistachio industry, with expectations for a significant increase in exports in 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also forecasts a sizable increase in production of U.S. pistachios this year: a record 677,000 tons. At the same time, there is an expectation for a 32 percent increase in exports to key markets.
“The biggest one by far is China and Hong Kong,” said Brittney Goodrich, Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist of Agricultural and Resource Economics with UC Davis. “Maintaining those good trade relationships with China is really imperative for our pistachio industry here.”
USDA is projecting Chinese imports of pistachios to more than double to 160,000 tons. Shanghai and Beijing are both highlighted as being significant markets for American pistachios. European Union countries like Germany and Belgium are also important markets for pistachios. Goodrich explained that India has been a growing market for pistachios over the past decade.
“I think that’s something that we’re going to be seeing as a growing market going forward for all tree nuts, not just pistachios,” said Goodrich. “You have this growing middle class in India that has more disposable income. So, they’re now importing more tree nuts from the U.S. and from other countries. So that’s a particularly big, growing market.”
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Brian German
Ag News Director / AgNet West