Yahoo Finance Why these pistachios are under POLICE GUARD
Roasted, salted, in gelato form or a flavour of macaron: pistachio is a worldwide delicacy.
According to Self.com, pistachios are one of the oldest flowering nut trees, which means they were eaten by humans around 9,000 years ago, making them the original prehistoric snack.
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If their taste doesn’t lure you in and you need a little more proof that these nuts are divine, they’re one of only two nuts mentioned in the Bible.
Pistachio trees are also planted in orchards, and they take a lengthy seven to 10 years to reach significant production. On top of that, they’re biennial-bearing, so you can only pick them every two years.
But they’re a nut, why do they need police protection?
I’m glad you asked.
The BBC reported that pistachios in Sicily’s Bronte region, the pistacchio verde di Bronte, were about to get a full presidential-esque protection program.
“At least six officers are going to patrol in the daytime, and 12 at night,” the BBC reported. “And if need be, they will launch the police helicopter.”
Coined Sicily’s green gold, it was reported that one kilogram of the seeds, unshelled, costs around $17.40, which is more than double the price of pistachios in the US and Iran.
Being so lucrative, the pistachios often attract some trouble from thieves, who stealthily arrive at night and try and steal as many as possible.
In fact, in 2009, thieves stole 300kg of Bronte pistachios during harvest time, which equated to around a $4,600 heist back then.
It’s not the first time criminals have targeted agriculture
The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist was a months-long robbery that occurred in 2012 during which almost 540,000 gallons of maple syrup, valued at a whopping $20.1 million, was stolen from a storage facility in Quebec.
At just under $2,000 per barrel, it’s no wonder thieves thought to steal 9,000 of them, each filled with Canada’s sweet sugary produce.
Culture Trip reported that maple syrup production in Quebec accounts for 75 per cent of the global flow of maple syrup, and the industry makes in excess of $578.4 million in annual sales.
Eventually, 26 thieves were arrested, putting them in a bit of a sticky situation.
A little closer to home, Oysters are subject to theft, and there’s a growing black market for the marine produce.
The economic loss to farmers can be tens of thousands of dollars according to NSW Farmers, and they’re also forced to replace the farming infrastructure ruined by careless criminals.
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