In the municipalities of Douro Superior, Vale da Vilariça, and Douro Internacional, producers are investing in pistachio cultivation, despite the seven to eight years required for the trees to bear fruit.
Two major productions in these territories hope to reap the rewards in due time. Cátia Afonso, a pistachio producer managing a 28-hectare farm with 9,324 trees in Douro Superior, notes that her venture began in 2017 after conducting a study to explore this agricultural field.
“We already had other crops, such as olive groves. However, we like to think outside the box and, possessing a risk-taking profile, we concluded that investing in nuts, particularly pistachios, was worthwhile,” remarked Afonso.
Afonso acknowledges that pistachio farming requires time before the first harvest and is relatively new to the region with limited technical knowledge available. “In terms of land management and mechanization, it is akin to olive groves or almond orchards,” she added.
Having started to harvest the initial pistachios, Afonso stated that “this crop is a new trend with increasing market demand for this nut.”
“We initiated with 28 hectares, but if results are promising, the plan is to expand production. We aim to continue investing and to share our agricultural space with young farmers interested in this field, hoping to influence and exchange cultivation experiences,” she indicated.
Another producer, Fernando Dias from Douro Internacional, explained his pivot towards pistachios as an alternative to traditional crops after studying the new venture.
In the raian municipality of Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Dias has planted 7,800 pistachio trees on 32 hectares.
“We have potential, but reaching the level of Spanish producers is challenging due to their 30 years of research and strong irrigation systems. Our lands are poor in organic matter, acidic, and have limited water. Even with low irrigation allocations, costs are high,” he noted.
Dias believes pistachio cultivation is feasible and could serve as a viable alternative to the Mediterranean trio of almond, vine, and olive groves: “There are rustic, native rootstocks like cornalheira (Pistacia Terebinthus), which thrive in the region’s arid slopes, indicating resilience and adaptability to climate changes.”
“Besides grafted plants on cornalheiras, we have the UCB1 rootstock, developed in California, USA, known for its vigorous growth and resistance to particular soil fungi,” he detailed.
Dias underscores the need for research centers to provide information for new regional alternatives, bolster mountain area dynamism, attract investors, combat desertification, diversify ecosystems, enhance carbon sequestration, improve landscape value, and simultaneously address fire issues.
Albino Bento, a specialist at the National Competence Center for Nuts (CNCFS), emphasized that pistachio cultivation demands specific climatic conditions, posing a high failure risk if planted in unsuitable climates or with inappropriate plant material.
As a frost-sensitive species in spring, pistachios should not be planted in frost-prone areas. The species requires substantial cold hours in winter, rendering material knowledge crucial for local conditions.
“In regions with low frost risk, usually warmer areas, select varieties with fewer winter cold hour needs,” recommended Bento, also a faculty member at the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB).
Conversely, “in regions with some frost risk, opt for varieties requiring significant cold hours, with later blooming and budding, thus reducing risk,” he advised.
“However, since production prices are high and there is market appeal, regional farmers invest boldly in this trendy and growing crop,” justifying this strategy with “the perception that the market lacks pistachios, a nut stable in price, popular in the market and frequently featured in the news.”
The CNCFS researcher advocates planting in appropriate locations, selecting local-compatible plant material, ensuring proper soil preparation, amendments, base fertilization, and providing irrigation, pruning, and phytosanitary treatments.
“Meeting these criteria assures success and profitability,” he concluded.
