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…