Nuts
Industrial consumption and snack consumption
Depending on the use that will be put to a pistachio crop once it's processed, we can talk about industrial consumption and snack consumption. Although it may seem superfluous, this distinction is important because it determines the price of the crop.
Snack consumption
Snackable pistachios refer to pistachios sold to the end consumer for consumption. For this purpose, pistachios with specific characteristics are used, and not all pistachios are suitable for snacking. This is why a crop suitable for snacking commands a higher price.
Only the best pistachios are sold as snacks.
For a variety to be suitable for snack consumption, it must have a very white shell, a rounded shape, and a medium or large size.
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Industrial consumption
Similarly, industrial consumption refers to pistachios sold to food companies and used as ingredients in other products.
For the production of granulated pistachios, the size or color of the shell is irrelevant.
Since the pistachio kernel will be processed into another product in this case, the size and aesthetic defects of the nut are irrelevant. This means that a larger quantity of pistachios can be sold for industrial consumption, making them less valuable.
The main pistachio-based products are granulated pistachios, pistachio flour, and pistachio paste. These products are used as ingredients in recipes such as pistachio ice cream and pistachio pizzas.
Botton line
All pistachios are suitable for industrial consumption, but not all are suitable for snacks. Therefore, Pistachios suitable for snack consumption are more valuable.
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What does the price of a pistachio crop depend on?
The value of a pistachio crop is largely determined by the average size, the percentage of open nuts, the percentage of closed nuts, the percentage of voids, the variety, and the quality of the nut.
the caliber
Size is one of the factors that most influences the price of a pistachio harvest. This is because end consumers tend to perceive larger pistachios as more attractive and are willing to pay a higher price for them. The same is true of chicken eggs.
This means that The larger the caliber, the higher the price per kg. what your harvest will be worth.
Pistachio size is measured in units (number of pistachios) per ounce (U/Oz). One ounce is approximately 23g. This means that size is also measured in units per 23g.
The fewer the pistachios in 28 grams, the larger they should be and, therefore, the larger their size.
Each processor offers a different price for each size. To make things easier, prices are usually set for similar size ranges. These ranges are not standardized; this means that one processor may consider size 20 pistachios to be large, while another may consider them to be medium, adjusting their price accordingly.
Generally, the larger sizes (18-20 pistachios per ounce) tend to be the most highly valued on the international market and therefore the most expensive.
Smaller sizes (23-25 pistachios per ounce) are usually priced lower and some processors may not be interested in them.
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Percentage of open, closed and empty
Once harvested, pistachios can be open, closed, or hollow.
Naturally cracked pistachios are the most valuable because they don't require additional processing. A crop with a higher quantity of cracked pistachios will always command a higher price than one with the same characteristics and a lower quantity of cracked pistachios.
Unopened pistachios must be opened by machine, which can break the kernel. These pistachios are less valuable because they require additional processing and not all can be sold directly to the consumer.
Closed pistachios require more processing and are therefore less valuable than open ones.
Finally, empty pistachios are the least valuable. They add weight to the pistachio harvest (the weight of the shell) but do not add any nuts. These are the pistachios that most penalize the price of your harvest.
Variety
Both the size and the number of open, closed, and empty spaces are determined by the variety. This means that the variety of pistachio being marketed influences its value, as it will have its own size and percentage of open/closed/empty spaces.
Furthermore, the shell's visual characteristics depend on the variety and influence the price of the harvest. Consumers value pistachios with a rounded shape (though not completely round) and very white and clean shells. Subconsciously, the end consumer tends to associate these visual characteristics with the product's quality and is willing to pay a higher price for them.
Kerman variety pistachio, intended for snack consumption.
Larnaka variety pistachio, intended for industrial consumption.
This doesn't mean that varieties intended for industrial production are worse. There are pistachio plantations of varieties intended for industrial consumption that are highly profitable. The problem is that a variety that should be sold as a snack has defects that force it to be marketed as an industrial variety.
The most popular varieties suitable for snacking are: Kerman, Sirora, Golden Hills, and Lost Hills. These are some of the most popular varieties in the pistachio industry and are the ones most commonly found in supermarkets.
The quality of the fruit
Finally, the quality of the nut also influences its price. Pistachios may have certain aesthetic defects that make them difficult to sell to the consumer and, therefore, lower their value.
The main aesthetic defects are: the presence of a third finger, spots on the shell, adhesions on the shell, opening of the shell outside the suture, presence of mold on the shell, mechanical damage, presence of foreign bodies (pieces of branches, leaves, etc.), irregularly opened shells, irregular or deformed shells, and discolored shells.
Third Finger
Stains
Adhesions
Opening outside the suture
Mold
mechanical damage
Strange bodies
Irregular opening
Irregular shell
Discolored shell
One last factor to consider is the presence of fungi. Pistachios grow certain species of fungi that release aflatoxins, a compound harmful to humans and animals. Not all pistachio crops contaminated with fungi contain these toxins, but they should be analyzed in a laboratory to verify their absence.
The presence of fungi in the harvest is a serious quality defect that may lead to the fruit being discarded for health reasons.
What is industrial consumption and snack consumption, and how does it affect the price of the crop?
Snack consumption
What does the price of a pistachio crop depend on?
What is the average price of a pistachio crop?
FAQs
The price assigned to a pistachio harvest can vary depending on the size, variety, and quality of the fruit.
In 2024, the average price for a conventional pistachio harvest was €6,7/kg and €7,70/kg for an organic harvest.
What is the price of pistachios at the market?
A plant's production is influenced by a multitude of factors, such as the quality of spring pollination, the fertilization plan, the rootstock, and irrigation.
To give you a reference number, a pistachio tree grown under irrigated land can produce between 6 and 10,5 kg of dry pistachios. This figure can be even higher if the plantation is properly planned and managed.
The average selling price of pistachios to the producer ranges between €4 and €6/kg.
What factors determine the price of the harvest?
Yes, it is an essential requirement for any pistachio plantation.
The proportion of females and males depends on the planting frame chosen; the narrower it is, the more females can be included.
It is usually recommended to follow a ratio of 1 male for every 8 to 10 females.
How will the price of pistachios evolve?
The appropriate choice of variety depends on several factors. However, the main conditioning factor is the climate.
Variety kerman It is the ideal option for farms with about cold winters with a certain risk of spring frosts. It is recommended in the central peninsula and areas of a certain altitude (> 1.000 m).
Sirora It is usually the option when There is no risk of spring frost and winters remain cold, since it presents greater vigor and an early start of production.
Lastly, Larnaka It is the most recommended option for regions with short wintersIt's easy to manage, comes into production quickly, and its fruit is very commercially attractive. It's often the variety of choice in southern Spain.
It's important to keep in mind that each farm has specific conditions, so when choosing the right variety, a study of the farm's microclimate must be conducted for each specific case.
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