TEHRAN (INA)- Iran�s pistachio exports rose by 8.000 tons in the first eleven months of the last Iranian calendar year (started on March 21, 2014 and ended on March 21, 2015), comparing to similar period in the year before.

Pistachio ranked 7th in the list of Iran�s exports last year, while it came in the 9th place in the year before.

Iran sold 84.000 tons of pistachio, worth $693 million last year, raising by 8.000 tons comparing to similar period in the year before.

Iran sold 76.000 tons of the product which totaled $621 million. Pistachio comprised 2.12 percent of Iran�s exports.

The country is the top pistachio exporter, a position the country has maintained, thanks to the premium quality of its production.

Iran also has the largest acreage of land dedicated to pistachio plantation, spread over more than 20 provinces in the country.

Up to 70% of Iran�s pistachio crop comes from Kerman Province, which has an ideal climate and soil for growing the nutty fruit.

By ISNA