Pistachio Crop Sept 23

Pistachio Crop Sept 23

Mike Stephens
Mike Stephens
News Reporter
For California Ag Today, I’m Mike Stephens

The Next Pistachio crop weather conditions were favorable, with enough chill hours from November to February and a good bloom period, so expectations are that the 2021/22 season is going to be a large off year. There is a relatively large carry-over into 2021/22, which is going to help stabilize supply.

Although there are some ongoing water issues in California, water availability is expected to be sufficient for this season. Besides, sustainable farming is on the rise, more and more growers are using agronomical practices to improve water penetration. There is also increased use of cover crops and compost, which leads to reduce water needs. Pistachio quality has also improved in recent years, primarily, due to farmers harvesting early and shaking twice, undergoing winter sanitation and utilizing mating disruption pest control.

There are new plantings going in every year, at an approximate rate of 5 to 7% increase per year. And some of these new plantings entering into production will reflect in the 2021 crop. It is anticipated that the industry will continue to grow, the demand has been strong, and at least in the near term, it will meet the growing supply. Some of the pandemic-related habits, that led to around a 10% consumption increase in the snacking category, are expected to continue in the long term. Additionally, the kernel market has grown dramatically during this last year. The biggest challenge for the California pistachio industry is the ongoing tariffs into the Chinese market and the trade barriers that have put the US product at disadvantage. The Top 5 California pistachio-producing counties are Kern, Tulare, Fresno, Madera and Kings.

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