Oh, Nuts! U.S. Pistachio Growers Worry About Competition From Iran

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/19/467266572/oh-nuts-u-s-pistachio-growers-worry-about-competition-from-iran?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

A ranch manager holds pistachios at a farm in Madera, Calif. The lifting of sanctions on Iran has California growers worried that Iranian pistachios will flood the U.S. market.

A ranch manager holds pistachios at a farm in Madera, Calif. The lifting of sanctions on Iran has California growers worried that Iranian pistachios will flood the U.S. market.

Justin Kase Conder/AP

Last year was a terrible season for the American pistachio industry. Warm temperatures and the lack of water resulted in a loss of almost half the crop, and profits were down by around $1.4 billion from 2014. This year, the industry is hoping to recover, but growers across the country may face a different issue: competition stemming from the lifting of sanctions against Iran.

Iran is historically known for its pistachios. They’re one of the country’s main non-oil exports, sold in large quantities to places like China. Until about 30 years ago, a large amount of the pistachios sold in the U.S. were from Iran.

The American pistachio industry di…

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