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These days, pistachios seem to be everywhere, from fancy restaurant menus and pastry shops to supermarket shelves stacked with bags of them. They've become the snack of choice for millions of people across Spain and the demand just keeps climbing. In the Region of Murcia, farmers have definitely noticed this trend and they're jumping on the bandwagon.

 

Over the last seven years, pistachio cultivation in the Region has exploded. Back in 2018, there were just 695 hectares under pistachio production. By 2024, that figure had jumped to 1,668 hectares. That's an increase of almost 140% and the pace shows no sign of slowing down.

 

Production figures tell the same story, with output rising by more than 20% in the last year alone, driven by new plantations coming into full production and farmers getting better at managing their existing crops.

 

For many Murcia farmers, pistachios have become a lifeline. Some moved into pistachio farming as a way to diversify away from vineyards or almond orchards, while others saw them as a natural alternative to other nut crops or cereals.

 

The appeal is easy to understand when you consider the Region of Murcia's climate and conditions. Pistachios are genuinely drought-resistant, which makes them a sensible choice for semi-arid southeastern Spain where water is always a concern. In the medium to long term, a well-managed pistachio farm can be quite profitable.

 

However, pistachios are not for the impatient, as "it's a slow and complex crop that takes years to reach full production; if you don't know how to manage it, your harvest can be ruined because it requires a great deal of knowledge." That’s according to agricultural engineer Antonio López, who, along with his brother David, works with 10,000 dryland trees on approximately 90 hectares distributed between Caravaca de la Cruz and Almería.

 

Get it right, though, and the numbers work. According to Antonio López, "a well-managed farm can yield an average of 800 kilos per hectare per year."

 

That’s a substantial return compared to some of the traditional crops these trendy nuts are replacing. Large, open, organic white pistachios, for example, are fetching around €8.50 to €9 per kilo these days.

 

Pistachio production across Murcia is concentrated in two main areas. The Northwest region, particularly around Caravaca, has the most pistachio plantings with around 879 hectares, which is about 52% of the regional total. The Altiplano area follows with 588 hectares, most of it under irrigation. The Guadalentín Valley has another 169 hectares in the mix.

 

Although most of Murcia's pistachio crop ends up being sold to wholesalers in other areas like Castilla-La Mancha, where the pistachio industry has exploded, farmers are optimistic this will change in the near future.

 

Antonio López believes that as production capacity continues to grow, "many products will be developed; but right now, demand exceeds supply."

 

In other words, farmers aren't a bit worried about finding a market for this increasingly popular nut.

 

Image: Freepik