A farmer picks pistachios at an orchard in Hasbaya, Lebanon, Aug. 26, 2021. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)
BEIRUT, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- In the Middle East, pistachio is called "smiling nut" because its split shell resembles a smile.
The cultivation of pistachios in Lebanon, benefiting from the assistance of local and international agricultural associations, has been expanding in the past years as the demand far exceeds supply. The price of fresh pistachios this year has climbed to about six U.S. dollars per kilo from one dollar last year. Lebanon produces pistachios about 800 tons annually, while importing about 3,000 tons, mainly from Syria, Iran and Turkey.
A farmer checks pistachios at an orchard in Hasbaya, Lebanon, Aug. 25, 2021. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)
Pistachios are seen on a tree before being harvested at a orchard in Hasbaya, Lebanon, Aug. 25, 2021. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)
Fresh pistachios are seen in Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 28, 2021. (Photo by Liu Zongya/Xinhua)
A vendor sells fresh pistachios on the roadside in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, Aug. 27, 2021. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)
A man buys fresh pistachios in a fruit and vegetable store in the city of Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Aug. 27, 2021. (Photo by Taher Abu Hamdan/Xinhua)■
