"The USA will take Iran`s position as the world`s biggest pistachio exporter unless Iran increases its production," he said.
"Domestic consumption accounts for 20 percent of Iran`s total output, while the figure is around 40 - 50 percent in the USA," Ahmadi added.
He went on to note that the pistachio price has fallen to 430,000 rials ($13.8 based on the price of USD at the free market) per kilo, showing a 100,000 rials decrease.
The ISNA News Agency reported on July 20 that the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Russia, Germany, and Iraq were the main importers of Iran`s pistachio in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year, which started March 21.
Iran totally exported 10.5 tons of pistachio worth $86.7 million in the mentioned period.
The figure shows 3.7 and 4.8 percent increase in terms of weight and value, respectively, compared to the same period of time previous year.
Iran also exported 1,400 tons of pistachio nuts worth $22.6 million in the mentioned period, which is 46 percent less than previous year`s first quarter.
Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, Kioumars Fathollah Kermanshahi said in March that Iran exported more than 128,600 tons of pistachio worth $1.14 billion in the previous calendar year, which ended March 20.
The figures showed 5 and 6.8 percent increase in terms of value and weight, respectively in comparison to its preceding year, the IRNA News Agency quoted Fathollah Kermanshahi as saying.
The United Arab Emirates, Russia, Germany, and Netherlands were the main importers of Iranian pistachios.
Iran banned exports of pistachio in February in a bid to curb rising prices in the domestic market. Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi had ordered stopping pistachio exports for 6 months in order to help regulate the prices, the Fars News Agency reported. But it was announced a week later that the ban has been lifted.
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