The price of pistachios in Italy is almost twice the price of pistachios in the world's two largest producers, namely America and Iran.
Source: Asr Iran analytical news site
The Italian police of Sicily will lead a preventive operation to protect the pistachios of Mount Etna in the northwest of the Italian island of Sicily.
According to Asr Iran, quoted by "BBC", they start their work from the early hours of the day and continue their patrols until 12 at night. If needed, helicopters will also be used in this operation.
Officer Niccolo Morandi and his colleagues are preparing for a special operation next September to protect the Sicilian pistachios.
Location of pistachio orchards in Bronte and Monte Etna, Sicily, Italy
It may not be believable at first glance, but police officers in this part of Italy are actively involved in protecting the annual pistachio harvest.
Sicily is home to the most valuable seeds and seeds in the world, and one of the best pistachios in Europe is harvested from the city of Bronte in this region of Italy.
Sicilian pistachios make up one percent of the world's pistachio crop
In the center of Bronte city, near the slopes of "Etna" and in the vicinity of an active volcano, pistachio trees grow in an area of three thousand hectares.
Although the Bronte pistachio constitutes only one percent of the world production of pistachios, it is considered to be the most expensive.
In Italy, it is commonly called "green gold" and a kilogram of this seed with its fresh skin costs about 15.50 euros ($17.40 - £13.45).
230 Sicilian farmers are selected to take care of the pistachio trees
This price is almost twice the price of pistachios in the world's two largest producers, namely the United States and Iran.
About 230 authorized farmers have been designated for the area to take care of the pistachio trees during the harvest period, said Enrico Kimballi, head of local business at the Consorzio di Tutela Bronte. Many fans believe that Bronte pistachios taste better than other European pistachios and stay green and fresh longer.
Despite the profitable nature of these trees during harvest, officials and farmers are always faced with the problem of thieves attacking pistachio trees.
Italian pistachio, its fans believe that it stays green and fresh longerv
In the dark of the night, thieves rush into the gardens of the area with their cars and pick pistachios as much as possible and take them with them.
Pistachio trees produce a crop every two years and in Sicily the harvest is done in odd years like 2019. Sicilian pistachios will be picked in September.
In 2009, thieves stole more than 300 kilograms of "Bronte" pistachios during the harvesting process. This incident caused the mayor of Bronte to protect the police to protect the pistachio orchards.
The result of this request was aerial protection of pistachio orchards with helicopters and the presence of more officers on the ground.
The Sicilian police protect pistachios from thieves with helicopters and ground forces
Mario Prestiani, a pistachio farmer from Bronte, said in this regard: the native people of the region deeply accept these services and cope with the conditions, because the harvest is very sensitive for us.
The 2019 Bronte pistachios are now slowly forming.
As a farmer, Prastiani hopes that his crop will be bigger and more than 1250 tons two years ago. His product reached 1400 tons in 2015. The amount of pistachio crop depends on the weather conditions.
Industries are trying to increase the export of Sisal pistachios. Currently, more than 80% of Sicilian pistachios are exported, and France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States are the biggest buyers of Italian pistachios.
Pistachios are widely used in cooking, pastry making and Italian desserts
Francesco di Sano, a Bronte pistachio trader, said: We are trying to increase our exports by participating in 6 major exhibitions and online marketing. He specifically mentioned the Dubai and Nuremberg trade fairs.
According to estimates, the income of Bronte's green gold reaches about 20 million euros per year.
Many domestic companies process Sicilian pistachios and send them outside the borders of this country.
Italian pistachios are growing and will be harvested in September
Companies usually powder or grind pistachios and sell them as ingredients for cooking and baking. Italian pistachios are used in many Sicilian desserts, such as some types of pesto spaghetti. And, of course, you should not neglect Inaliya pistachio jellies.
Bronte also attracts many European tourists to this part of Italy every year by setting up the pistachio fair.
The pistachio tree, which is originally from the Middle East, was first planted by the "Moore" family between the 9th and 11th centuries in the Sicily region of Italy.