Executive and technical criterions in constructing a pistachio

But in the field of pistachio processing, many changes have been made and over time, with the increase in pistachio production volume and the need to process a larger volume of pistachios in a limited harvest time, first peeling machines were developed and gradually, as needed, other machines were invented to increase the speed of pistachio processing, drying and separation, and the processing lines made significant improvements and became the lines of today. Accordingly, in order to inform gardeners and other activists who intend to establish pistachio processing units, especially in new areas of pistachio development in the country, the following points are briefly reminded:

What should be considered as the first and most important feature in the construction of a pistachio harvesting unit (pistachio processing) is, its economy

because the investment made in this field is heavy and it  should be planned in such a way that the possibility of maximum use and economic productivity is provided in a short period of harvesting.

In general, pistachio processing is divided into two parts: wet pistachio processing and dried pistachio processing. Wet pistachio processing, which is done in a short time of harvesting, includes the separation of the pistachio shell, washing and separating the defective pistachios from the original product, and finally drying the pistachios.

Dry pistachio processing, which can be done throughout the year, includes the separation of foreign objects (wood, bone, skin, and soil), the separation of closed pistachios from opened mouth ones, the separation of defective pistachios, and grading.

1. Wet pistachio processing criterions

2. Location criterions

In choosing the intended location for the construction of a wet pistachio processing unit, four important factors should be considered, including the needs of the farmers in the area, access to water, solving the problem of sewage and proximity to pistachio orchards.

The needs of the farmers in the region: Since the investment made in the construction of the pistachio recording, as mentioned in the introduction, is used for a maximum of one to two months, so it is important to pay attention to this important factor that the recording terminal operates at its maximum capacity. In other words, the terminal should be located in a place where farmers need it and complete the capacity of the terminal by offering their products.

Access to the required water: In order to be able to process clean and healthy pistachios in the recording lines, you need 1 to 2 cubic meters of clean water per ton of fresh pistachios to wash and separate the blank pistachios and the good ones. For example, to process 60 tons of fresh pistachios per day, 60 to 120 cubic meters (depending on the type of processing line) of water is needed.

Solving the problem of sewage: As mentioned, the volume of water used in the washing and separation of pistachios is high and a significant amount of wastewater is produced in high capacity units. Failure to properly dispose

 of this wastewater causes pollution and bad smell around the processing unit, so you must think of a solution for wastewater. The best method that currently exists and is being used is that by separating the coarse suspended materials from the sewage, they mix the sewage with agricultural water and use it to irrigate the farms.

 Another solution is Wastewater treatment should be done by spending a huge amount of money and building a treatment plant. In any case, to build a processing unit, you need to obtain legal permits from the environment.

Proximity distance to pistachio orchards: Proximity distance to pistachio orchards is another important factor that in addition to reducing transportation costs, reduces the time between harvesting and processing and prevents crop failure. Especially in recent years and with the increase in transportation costs, proximity distance to farms has become more important.

2. Criterions for selecting machines

The pistachio processing line machines that work as a service can be divided into two simple and complete types:

Simple type: In this type, which has an average capacity of about 2.5 tons of pistachios, the main machines include a peeler and a garbage divider, a tank for separating blank pistachios shell and good ones, a dehumidifier which can be doubled its capacity by doubling the peeler and strainer.

Full type: This type is created by completing the simple type with peripheral devices and an average capacity of about 5 tons. These peripheral devices include:

• Line feeding conveyor
• Cluster crusher
• Good pistachio dryer
• Aeration insiling
• Blank pistachio’s garbage collector
• Blank pistachio’s sorting
• conveyor of garbage

It should be noted that several lines are used together to create a higher capacity in the processing terminals.