Farmers in South Africa’s (SA) Northern Cape province are rapidly scaling up investment in pistachio production, launching an ambitious decade-long strategy to transform the country into the world’s fourth-largest exporter of the premium nut.

Producers in the arid Karoo region have already successfully commercialised the crop, shipping an initial 20 tons to international buyers. Driven by soaring global demand, the local industry is now targeting an aggressive production surge to surpass 60 000 tons over the next 10 years, capitalising on the Northern Cape’s unique climate which is perfectly suited to pistachio cultivation.

According to Northern Cape pistachio farmer David Muller, the global market offers massive untapped opportunities for SA growers because the crop can only be grown commercially in a very limited number of regions worldwide.

Muller noted that more than one million tons of pistachios are produced globally every year, vastly eclipsing the global output of other premium nuts popular in SA, such as pecans and macadamias, which typically yield between 120 000 and 150 000 tons annually. According to the grower, the pistachio market is exceptionally well-established and deeply integrated into cultures and diets around the world, making it a highly lucrative export frontier for SA agriculture.

–ChannelAfrica–