Walnut Production in Iran Hit by Frost
EghtesadOnline: Walnut production from 171,000 hectares of orchards in Iran amounted to 200,000 tons in the current crop year, which is around half the amount of estimated production, an official with the Agriculture Ministry said.
“The decline in production is due to the frost that set in early this year and damaged the trees,” Shokrollah Hajivand was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
Last year, more than 262,000 tons of walnut were produced on 166,000 hectares of orchards, he added.
The official noted that more than 3.75 million tons of walnuts are produced worldwide annually across 1.19 million hectares of farmland, Financial Tribune reported.
“Iran ranks third in walnut production after China and the US, and second in land under cultivation of the nut after China,” he said.
Kerman, Hamedan, Lorestan, Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad and Kermanshah are the main walnut-producing provinces in Iran.
According to Hajivand, Iran exports a meager share of its walnut production.
Unofficial export, however, are rife through suitcase trade.
“Last year (March 2017-18), close to 3,000 tons of the nut were exported. The figure stood at around 2,000 tons the year before,” he said.