At the 19th China Nut and Dried Fruit Food Exhibition, held from April 16 to 19 in Hefei, Anhui province, Michael Hohmann, member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council [3] (INC) as well as the executive vice president and CFO of Wonderful Pistachios [4], and Anita Lam, managing director of Wonderful Pistachios Greater China and chief representative for Asia-Pacific, delivered presentations entitled “California Pistachios Market Overview” and “2025–2026 Pistachio Raw Material & Product Analysis and Forecast Report.”

The presentations showed that for crop year 2025 (September 2025 to August 2026), global demand for Californian pistachios remains strong, with shipments to major markets generally reaching record highs for the period.

Although crop year 2025 is an “on-year” for Californian pistachios, with production reaching approximately 1.57 billion pounds (712,000 metric tons), carry-in inventory from the previous crop year was extremely low, resulting in a tight overall supply. From September 2025 to February 2026, cumulative global shipments reached 332,000 metric tons, representing 59% of the annual target.

U.S. domestic shipments reached approximately 78,000 metric tons, approaching a record high for the period. Meanwhile, European shipments reached 86,000 metric tons, an 18% increase over the previous record for the period, and shipments to the Middle East and North Africa reached 51,000 metric tons, up 28% year on year. Other markets also hit record shipment levels, demonstrating significant progress in market diversification.

Lam reported that consumption demand for Californian pistachios in the Chinese market grew by 25% year on year during the 2026 Chinese New Year period, reflecting robust holiday purchasing power. However, actual import data were less promising: owing to extended transit times and other supply chain factors, actual exports of Californian pistachios to China [5] from October 2025 to February 2026 decreased by approximately 14% compared with the same period of the previous crop year. These data suggest that logistical efficiency has become a critical bottleneck affecting holiday supply.

Looking ahead to the 2027 Chinese New Year market, Lam gave a clear recommendation: “The Chinese market needs reliable and fast freight arrangements.” This means that the stability of logistics links between California and the Chinese market over the coming year will directly affect supply capacity for the key holiday season.

Meanwhile, at the 43rd INC World Nut and Dried Fruit Congress, Hohmann noted that for the upcoming crop year 2026, this year has seen the hottest March on record with a heat wave during the blooming period and 10 days over 30 degrees Celsius. This is expected to impact the total yield during the harvest period in September and October. Despite a higher anticipated carry-in from crop year 2025, the shippable supply in crop year 2026 is estimated at 363,000 metric tons, a year-on-year decrease of 36%.

Images: 19th China Nut and Dried Fruit Food Exhibition