There is no doubt that pistachio cultivation is here to stay, and the industry is expected to produce more than 1.4 billion pounds by 2026. The average pistachio with buds usually bears fruit in the fourth or fifth year of life. Production at this young age usually ranges from 2.2 to 4.4 pounds. For a medium production, 7 to 10 years are required. At this age, fair production ranges from 13 to 22 pounds.
When trees bear fruit, between the ages of 12 and 14, the production of a healthy, well-maintained pistachio can reach or exceed 33 pounds. Commercially grown pistachio plantations are usually very productive for about 40 to 50 years once the trees have matured, provided they are properly cared for. In organized pistachio orchards in the U.S. In the US, the harvest is carried out using large tractors that attach themselves to the trees and shake the branches, so that the fruits can fall into the containers, where sorting takes place.
A single female pistachio produces nuts of different weight each year. Keep in mind that, once they have fully grown, they tend to produce fruit alternately, meaning that they only produce a large production every other year. Commercial cultivation of pistachios (especially in the U.S. In the United States) has increased steadily over the past few decades and many producers decide to leave cotton, soybeans and other plants to establish young pistachios.
To this we must add that pistachio (like many other fruit trees) has an inherent tendency to alternate production (the tree produces a very good yield in one year and a low yield, if not zero, the following year). Keep in mind that many variations can affect yield: climate, pistachio variety, maintenance, pest and disease control, diet, irrigation, etc. Since there seems to be a growing interest in pistachios and consumer demand remains high, pistachio production can be a profitable business as long as the costs of setting up and maintaining such a business are fully understood. And while more almonds are exported in terms of weight, Matoian says that pistachios rank second in economic value.
The tree thrives in certain weather conditions and soil types, and deviating significantly from these requirements (especially the climate) will cost you in terms of production. That is the conclusion of economic impact studies commissioned by American Pistachio Growers (APG) and conducted by Tootelian & Associates to quantify how spending by producers and processors boosts business activity, increases jobs and labor incomes, and contributes to indirect business taxes. The commercial cultivation of pistachios can be an important source of income in the long term, provided that the farmer has done extensive research on the basic parameters of the crop. Second, pistachios don't produce a good yield until their seventh or eighth year, even with high-quality management by experienced growers.
Meanwhile, money is still needed to prepare the land, buy and plant trees, establish irrigation systems, prune, fertilize, weed, control pests and diseases, etc. Pests, diseases or natural disasters can destroy entire plantations, so growing pistachios is not without risks. Pistachios are capable of producing nuts for more than 100 years and live for around 300 years under the right conditions.
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