Syria – War and climate change drop pistachio production

The cultivation of pistachios in Syria’s northern regions has been affected by the Syrian crisis and the ongoing war, resulting in a reduction in the areas planted with this plant, in addition to the lack of sufficient water and bad weather which caused poor production and lighter weight of pistachios compared to previous years. According to the owner of one of the pistachio factories, Najm al-Din, this year’s pistachios production was very poor, forcing him to peel them early due to trees diseases and the lack of sufficient treatments or their high prices. Aleppo countryside is famous for its cultivation of pistachios, which is known for its high prices, so it is sold in US dollars and is exported to Aleppo and Damascus and from there to Arab countries such as Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the Arab Gulf states and other countries.