Pistachio production in Andalusia has set a new record this past season, with almost 700 tons harvested. Marketing prices have been the highest in the last five years. Continuous heatwaves have brought forward the start of the next harvest, which is expected to begin by the end of this month.
According to data provided by Appistaco, the national association of pistachio producers and marketers based in Navas de San Juan (Jaén), the cultivable pistachio area in the region exceeds 1,400 hectares, primarily concentrated in Jaén and extending to other Andalusian provinces, as well as Castilla-La Mancha, Murcia, and Extremadura.
Julián Navarro, president of Appistaco, explains that most of its 250 members own small plots of two to three hectares used to supplement their olive grove income. A considerable increase in cultivable area is expected in the coming years as growing plots begin to yield fruit, which takes about six years from planting.
Navarro has positively assessed the prices for the last campaign, ranging between 8 euros per kilo for organic pistachios and 7.39 euros for conventional ones, with differences attributed to farm location and transport costs.
The early start of the next harvest, which usually begins in mid-September, is already evident in some farms in the El Condado region of Jaén, which are preparing to start picking next week. Expectations are very high, and figures from the previous campaign are expected to be surpassed.
Appistaco, founded five years ago by farmers from El Condado, operates a high-capacity processing plant in Navas de San Juan, unique in Andalusia and one of the most modern in Spain. Its 23,000 square meters can process pistachio production from anywhere in the country under strict food safety standards and quality controls using stainless steel lines.
"Every bag that leaves our facilities maintains the freshness and quality that sets us apart," concludes the president of Appistaco.
