That Billion Pound-Plus Crop of Pistachios is Maturing on the Trees

That Billion Pound-Plus Crop of Pistachios is Maturing on the Trees

Patrick Cavanaugh
Patrick Cavanaugh
Jimi Valov is a pistachio grower in Kings and Tulare County. “You know, they always said 2020 was going to be a billion pounds. We'll make it this year. It'll be a billion pounds plus, and then we might possibly dip a little under it in 2021 but then even bigger in 2022 so yeah, I think they've been saying this for years. 2020 was going to be the billion pound and we're finally going to hit it.”

And consumers around the world love California pistachios, but the industry must stay ahead of the demand. “Yeah, that's correct. We got to stay ahead of it. And that's why we need to always look a year or two, if not three years ahead of time tto make sure we have a home for our growing crop supply.

“You know, we had a little hiccup with the tariff, but somehow or another pistachios are getting the foreign markets anyway. And once people have California pistachios, it's kind of hard to go back to Iranian pistachios. So they're wanting them and the industry has places fro the to go I mean, we went to Europe and really opened up that market,” Valov said.

And the country of India, they'd love California pistachios. “That’s huge market, a huge market,” said Valov. “But you know, everyone has their problems, but they say they don't have enough nuts, believe it or not. So, people ask me if we should keep planting. I wish they wouldn't keep planting. But you know, I just planted another 300 acres last year, so I'm still gung ho on pistachios,” he said.

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