Pistachios continue to be a lucrative crop in California, making the U.S. a top exporter of the nut

California farmers are allocating more land to grow pistachios, which are proving to be a lucrative crop that can withstand the state’s drought conditions, the Associated Press reported Sunday. “You are starting to see the fruit of people’s vision from 40 years ago.” Pistachios are currently California’s “sixth-biggest agricultural commodity in value” compared to other longtime crops grown in the state, like strawberries and tomatoes, per agriculture statistics. Most of the pistachios will be sent to China, where the crop is dubbed the “happy nut” and commonly eaten during Lunar New Year. As explained by the AP, pistachio orchards “can be sustained with minimal water during drought” and their trees “rely on wind instead of bees for pollination and can produce nuts for decades longer.” Because of the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act — which limits the amount of groundwater farmers can use — pistachios have been hailed as the perfect crop to cultivate while satisfying sustainability initiatives.