It’s a new project that promises to transform Portugal’s economically-depressed interior with pistachio plantations, and literally make millions. Pistachios need cold winters and hot summers to thrive, explain the consultants behind the initiative, Espaço Visual, thus Portugal’s interior is perfect. Plans are to start planting in January and EV hopes to attract investors so that in two years, plantations could cover 3000 hectares, and generate up to €6 million.
EV boss José Martino told Lusa that demand for pistachios is assured, and to meet it Portugal would need to plant as many as 120,000 hectares.
Thus the hunt is on to find available land, ideally from Bragança to Beja.
Explaining the beauty of pistachios as a crop, Martino said that “in full production, the pistachio guarantees more than €10,000 per hectare” and is one of the few agricultural activities that does not require much water.
