Dubai Chocolate sparks global pistachio shortage

According to Financial Times, the booming popularity of Dubai Chocolate has triggered a global pistachio shortage, causing prices to soar by one-third. A year ago, pistachio kernels cost $7.65 per pound, but they now reach around $10.30 (approx. 130,000 to 175,000 UZS).

Giles Hacking of nut trader CG Hacking stated, “The pistachio world is effectively depleted.” The shortage was exacerbated by last year’s poor harvest in the U.S., the world’s top exporter. Though the quality was high, the quantity — especially of shelled, lower-grade nuts used in chocolate — was limited.

As Dubai Chocolate gained traction and became viral, chocolatiers swept up the available pistachios, deepening the global deficit.

Iran, the second-largest producer, reported a 40% increase in pistachio exports to the UAE in the six months leading to March 2025 — a stark contrast to 2023 when a surplus drove prices down. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!