Agents Affecting the Mechanical Harvesting of Pistachio Nuts in Iran (Case Study of Kerman Province)

Iran is the world's largest pistachio producer and exporter. Hence, the sustainability of the production of this strategic product is of particular importance. The high cost of pistachio harvesting has reduced the income of pistachio growers and created a serious challenge to the motivation of producing the pistachios. So, in this research, the contributing factors of mechanical harvesting of pistachio nuts in Kerman Province as the pole of pistachio production in Iran were studied. For this purpose, the Delphi method was used in three stages. Accordingly, 25 experts of pistachio cultivation experts and big growers of Rafsanjan and Kerman cities were considered as the research panel of the study. The final results of the research showed that the factors "Improving water use efficiency by supporting the implementation of new methods for irrigation of pistachio trees" and "allocating suitable credits for the pistachio nuts harvesting" with 96.00% and 95.00% agreements of the research panel’s members were the first and second stimulants for the development of pistachio harvesting in Kerman Province. Also, the factors of "implementation of pattern projects for mechanized pistachio harvesting", and "Providing incentive policies for the development of mechanical harvesting among the pistachio growers" with 91.00% of the agreement, jointly ranked as the second priorities. Investigating the barriers to the mechanical harvesting of pistachio also showed that the factors of the "smallness of most pistachio gardens" and "not being single-base or single-nesting of pistachio trees in the region" with the 97.00% and 94.00% agreements got the first and second ranks, respectively. Therefore, special financial supports for implementation of efficient irrigation systems, modification and renovation of old gardens, and the establishments of pattern projects for mechanized pistachio harvesting are inevitable. Also, consolidation of small pistachio gardens in the form of agricultural cooperatives in order to increase the group's financial strength as a backbone for the modifying the old gardens and the provision of pistachio harvesting equipments are indispensable