The Spanish pistachio

All about the Spanish pistachio in 10 minutes

Join us in this 10-minute read to discover everything that is happening with the Spanish pistachio. From its evolution to its technical characteristics, you will learn everything you need to know.

The information in this article comes from research conducted by Doctor Juan Vilar in his report, Present and future of pistachio cultivation. If you want to download the study, click here!

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Contents

The history of the Spanish pistachio

The Spanish pistachio before 2000

Before 2000, the Spanish pistachio was a total unknown.

There were hardly any plantations of this crop, and those that existed were cultivated as a hobby or small personal experiments by a handful of daring farmers. 

Processing structures for the crop were practically nonexistent, and nothing was known about its management.

The pistachio was seen more as a diversion than as an agronomic alternative.

The Spanish pistachio between 2000 and 2010

As the 2000s began, the cultivation of the pistachio began to gain popularity.

During this period, the first Spanish pistachio farms appeared with a relatively serious agronomic focus. However, the lack of technical knowledge about the crop led to it being relegated to low-productivity lands and old, generic agronomic practices.

Although this affected the viability of the crop, this stage served for the pistachio to penetrate Spain and start to be seen as a profitable alternative within woody crops.

The Spanish pistachio between 2010 and 2020

During this time, the pistachio established itself as an alternative to other common woody crops in the country, such as the olive or vine.

Farmers were starting to see the potential of the crop, and the first large-scale pistachio plantations appeared in the country.

During this period, the Spanish pistachio experienced explosive growth. In 2011, it is estimated that 4,300 ha were dedicated to pistachios. By 2020, that number had risen to 50,000 ha.

This explosive growth was accompanied by new processing plants, more professional, and new companies dedicated to pistachio project development.

During this time, new rootstock varieties and productive varieties began to be explored. 

At this time, the UCB#1 rootstock, the sirora variety, and the larnaka variety arrived in Spain; varieties that would become the pinnacle of the Spanish pistachio.

The Spanish pistachio between 2020 and 2026

During this period, Spain became the leading producer of pistachios in Europe. 

The cultivated area in 2024 grew to 79,000 ha, and Spain consolidated itself as the fifth largest producer in the world. It is estimated that most of the hectares cultivated during this period are still in their juvenile stage, and an explosive growth in national production is expected starting in 2028. 

Main production areas in Spain

Castilla-La Mancha

Currently, most of the national production is located in the Castilla-La Mancha region, where nearly 80% of the Spanish pistachio is produced.

In 2026, the region's production exceeded 11,000 tons annually, of which 4,000 were organic pistachios. This region is notable for the abundance of dryland farms, although there are also irrigated farms. 

This region is the oldest in the country, so most of the cultivated varieties are old. The kerman grafted onto cornicabra stands out, followed by avdat grafted onto cornicabra.

However, the new plantations in the region are using new, more productive varieties with a shorter time to enter production. 

The combination of sirora with the UCB#1 rootstock is gaining much popularity in the region thanks to its greater resistance to climate change, higher productivity, and earlier maturity.

Vilar, J. (2025). Present and future of pistachio cultivation.

Extremadura

The region of Extremadura has enormous potential for the rapid development of this crop.

Until 2012, there were still no hectares cultivated in the region. By 2024, there were already 3,800 ha, and the number is still increasing.

It is a region where traditional planting frameworks (6 x 6 m) predominate, but intensive frameworks (6 x 3 m) are gaining much popularity. 

Extremadura has an average annual rainfall close to 600 mm/year, so dryland pistachio plantations are very popular in the area.