The expert warned about the rise in price of sweets due to a shortage of pistachios

The increase in pistachio prices is associated with a reduction in production and an increase in demand, which is already having an impact on the market and the confectionery industry. Ilya Rusyaev, a lawyer and founder of the Rusyaev Club business community, told Izvestia about this on April 14.

According to the expert, the market was under pressure from several factors at once. Pistachio production is concentrated in three countries — the USA, Iran and Turkey, which account for about 94% of the global volume. At the same time, Iran recorded an 11% decrease in harvest, while Turkey's losses reached almost 70% due to adverse weather conditions.

The expert explained that it is impossible to quickly increase production volumes due to the peculiarities of culture. Pistachio trees bear fruit cyclically, alternating between high-yielding and weak years. So, after a record harvest in the United States in 2025, a weaker season is already expected in 2026.

The geopolitical situation exerts additional pressure. Sanctions restrictions complicate the calculations and logistics of supplies from Iran, and problems with transportation through the Strait of Hormuz reduce the availability of products. At the same time, the demand for pistachios continues to grow. In particular, China consumes about 160,000 tons annually, and the confectionery industry actively uses this ingredient in creams, desserts, and beverages.

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The expert noted that manufacturers are forced to adapt to the situation: raise prices, reduce the proportion of pistachios in the recipe or replace it with other nuts. In the premium segment, such replacements are difficult, whereas the mass market is more flexible.

"For the end user, all this does not look like a sharp jump in prices for the entire shelf, but as point changes: an increase in the price of premium lines, a decrease in packaging, rarer promotions. At the same time, the risk of price overflows for other nuts is moderate, but real, because the increase in freight, energy and insurance affects the entire category of ingredients," concluded Rusyaev.

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Bloomberg reported on April 13 that global pistachio prices have reached peak levels over the past eight years. It was noted that the key reason was the conflict in the Middle East, which paralyzed exports from Iran, a country that provides a third of the world's supply of this nut.

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