Rafsanjan County Akbari (Super Long) Pistachio Producers | Iranco
18–26 ounce grades, 20+ processors and exporters, Kashkuieh terminals and Rafsanjan RSEZ
B2B guide to Rafsanjan Akbari Super Long pistachios — Abbasabad Amin origin, directory of RPPC, Falat, Dorsa Kavir, Agah, Ajix and 15+ exporters; laser sort, aflatoxin and Gulf/EU lanes.
Akbari (Super Long) pistachio in Rafsanjan’s processing capital
Akbari is Iran’s most valuable elongated export cultivar. Rafsanjan County — 100,000+ hectares of orchards on the Kerman–Yazd transit corridor — hosts mechanised sorting, trading offices and benchmark Super Long pricing for the Gulf, Central Asia, India, China and Russia. The cultivar was selected in Abbasabad Amin village (Kashkuieh district).
Commercial Akbari product lines
| Product line | Definition | Target market |
|---|---|---|
| Naturally opened | On-tree split; top grade | Gulf luxury, EU gift |
| Water-split | Heat shock + ice-water on closed nuts | Russia, Iraq, price-led |
| Closed shell | Feed for crackers & washers | Kernel export, industry |
| Hand-picked luxury | Low count, 100% split, no stain | Arab gift, ceremonial |
| Akbari kernels | Full-length for confectionery | Pastry, HORECA |
| Value-added | Saffron roast, BBQ, powder, butter | Retail brands |
Ounce count calibration
| Grade | Avg length (mm) | Main market | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–20 | 24–26 | UAE, Qatar, gift | Super luxury, natural split |
| 20–22 | 22–24 | EU, China | Export grade 1 |
| 22–24 | 20–22 | Turkey, Canada, East Asia | Standard export |
| 24–26 | 18–20 | Russia, India, Kazakhstan | Economic blends |
Geographic production & processing matrix
| Belt | Chain role | Infrastructure | Focus product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kashkuieh (Abbasabad Amin) | Genetic origin of Akbari | Hulling, sulphur curing | Premium wet Akbari |
| Nuq (Ferdowsieh, Bahramabad) | Mechanised hull & pack | Laser lines roadside | Export Akbari |
| East Kabutarkhan | Seasonal wet intake, storage | Kerman highway access | Wet & dry |
| Industrial Park 1 (km 10) | Carton, film, snack plants | 300 ha site | Export packs |
| Industrial Park 2 (freeway) | Cracking, colour sort | Pistachio-specialised park | Sorted Akbari |
| Rafsanjan RSEZ (km 20) | Customs, cold stores, HQs | Tax incentives | Kernels & MAP |
Industrial processing (two phases)
Phase 1 — wet terminal intake
Hopper feed, dehulling & pressure wash, flotation separation of blanks, rotary/sun drying to <6% moisture.
Primary screening & ounce grades
Rubber-cylinder spacing tuned to protect elongated shell edges from crushing.
Optical & NIR sorting
Laser/colour sorters remove fungal stain, closed defects and physical waste.
Hand-pick & packing
10–12.5 kg telescopic cartons, 50 lb vacuum or nitrogen MAP retail.
Export QA
Tier-1 firms such as Dorsa Kavir and Falat deploy UV/NIR lines for EU total aflatoxin cap (4 µg/kg).
Major processors & exporters
| Unit / brand | Location | Activity | Products | Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rafsanjan Pistachio Producers Cooperative (RPPC)Brand: RPPC | Beltway / 46 ha complex | Large-scale processing, lab, sort, export | Natural Akbari, closed shell, kernels | Premium markets |
| Falat Pistachio Rafsanjan Co.Brand: Falat | Zaer Blvd. / Zarand road | Laser sort, packing, five-continent export | Natural, water-split, closed, kernels | Export active |
| Dorsa Kavir International Trading RafsanjanBrand: Dorsa Kavir | Qods Sq. / Jihad Blvd. | Orchards, processing, BRC/HACCP sort | Akbari 20–22 & 22–24 premium | Premium markets |
| Kimiyay Sabz Rafsanjan HoldingBrand: Kimiyay Sabz | Imam Reza Sq. / RSEZ plant | Supply, processing, sort, export | Hand-picked & natural Akbari | Export active |
| Agah Pistachio Agri-Industry ComplexBrand: Agah | Ferdows / Eslamabad Herandi | Multi-thousand-ha orchards, hulling terminal | Top natural & closed Akbari | Export active |
| Rashin Kavir Rafsanjan Co.Brand: Ajix | RSEZ (km 20 Kerman road) | Industrial roast, nitrogen MAP, export | Roasted kernels, salted & flavoured Akbari | Export active |
| Rafsanjan Pistachio Agri-Industry GroupBrand: pesterafsanjan.com | Kargar St. | Sort, roast, warehousing, e-commerce | Luxury hand-pick, salted, raw Akbari | Domestic bulk |
| Aria Pistachio Agriculture RafsanjanBrand: Aria Pistachio | Urban workshop belt | Sort, gift pack, regional export | Hand-pick, BBQ & zaatar roast | Export active |
| Nokhal Pistachio Rafsanjan Co.Brand: Laura / Green Gold | Industrial Park 2 (pistachio) | Cracking, sort, standard pack | Export Akbari, broken kernels | Export active |
| Amin Padidar Co.Brand: Amin Farms | Km 30 Rafsanjan–Anar road | Mega terminal, FSSC 22000, export | Processed Akbari, dried fruit | Premium markets |
| Dastchin Farm International Rafsanjan | Nuq outskirts | 1000+ ha orchards, processing, bulk export | Top natural Akbari, Ahmad Aghaei | Export active |
| Hosseini Noe Pistachio Trading | Taleqani Blvd. | Processing, organic, EU & China export | Organic natural Akbari | Premium markets |
Hulling terminals, brokers & support units
| Unit | Activity | Products | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abtab Pistachio Rafsanjan Co. | Processing, sort, bulk cartons | Luxury Akbari, Ahmad Aghaei | Abtab industrial park |
| Daryaye Sabz Rafsanjan Trading | Mechanised hulling terminal | Wet & dry raw Akbari | Storage belt |
| Amiri Pistachio Hulling Terminal | Hull, flotation, dryers | Seasonal wet Akbari | Aliabad road km 1 |
| Ajil Sabz Rafsanjan Food Industries | Roast lines, vacuum pack | Saffron & salted Akbari | Nuq road / Esmailabad |
| Ghiyasi Pistachio Trading Rafsanjan | Brokerage, sort, neighbour export | Akbari 22–24 & 26–28 | Central pistachio market |
| Saeedi Pistachio Wholesale Office | Traditional bulk brokerage | Natural, water-split, kernels | Shahid Nouri Blvd. |
| Keyhan Dried Fruit Packing Rafsanjan | Mechanical crack, sort | Sorted Akbari, slivers | Central industrial park |
| Karty Kashkuieh Pistachio Terminal | Fully auto hulling, Abbasabad origin | Wet & dry smiling Akbari | Kashkuieh Keshavarz Blvd. |
Supply-chain pressures & market structure
Akbari’s long kernel-fill window exposes orchards to July–August heat and water stress; blank rates up to ~35% are reported. Brackish wells (EC >10,000 µS/cm) and FX repatriation rules push traders from 50 kg jute sacks toward 30 g–1 kg branded packs (Ajix, Laura, Aria).
Recent bulk flows favour UAE, Kuwait, Russia, China and India where appearance (extra-long, large) dominates over strict EU toxin limits; flavoured lines add an estimated 20–30% margin over raw bulk.
Strategic outlook
Despite climate and policy headwinds, Rafsanjan retains the Middle East’s densest Akbari processing grid and global Super Long price discovery.
Commercial pivot: precision optical sort, orchard nutrition/irrigation to curb blanks, and standard MAP export packs instead of undifferentiated bulk.
Iranco connects you with verified Akbari processors and exporters across Kerman.