Pistachio demand lifts California prices
California pistachio farmers are benefiting from surging global demand — driven in part by supply shifts tied to the Iran war and viral Dubai food trends — which is boosting exports and could keep retail prices elevated. The market shift means pistachios will stay plentiful but potentially pricier for pantry stocking and snacking. (nytimes.com)
California’s pistachio crop for the 2025/26 marketing year opened with 1.27 billion pounds (576,000 tonnes) received at handlers, up 36% from the prior off‑year, boosting available kernels for export and processing. (freshplaza.com) American shipments have been heavy overseas: roughly three quarters of U.S. pistachio output shipped in recent marketing years, with Asia—China foremost—accounting for the largest share of outbound volumes. (freshfruitportal.com) (mundus-agri.eu) Maritime disruptions tied to the war around Iran have slashed transits through the Strait of Hormuz to a fraction of normal levels, raising freight and insurance costs that have constrained Iranian exports and rerouted some kernel supply chains. (hormuzstraitmonitor.com) (thomsonreuters.com) The Dubai “pistachio‑filled chocolate” craze that went viral on social platforms has driven manufacturers to seek large volumes of shelled kernels for confectionery production, intensifying demand for California‑processed pistachios. (business-standard.com) Market prices have jumped: industry trackers report global pistachio prices rising by more than 50% in recent months and retail/shelling‑kernel quotes moving from roughly $7.65 to about $10.30 per pound in a year‑to‑year comparison cited by trade outlets. (global-agriculture.com) (theagcenter.com) California growers are seeing firmer returns even as handlers race to meet kernel demand and maintain export momentum, and industry bodies are tracking monthly shipment flows to manage inventories amid the shifting geopolitics. (acpistachios.org) (freshfruitportal.com)
