Thousands of pistachio trees stand in neat rows at Robinvale in northern Victoria. The orchard spans almost 300 hectares (741 acres) and is among the oldest of Australia’s large-scale commercial plantings, stretching across the flat plains near the Murray River.
It’s a far cry from the mountains of south-west Iran, where Baha’i man Mehran Mahdavi farmed before his family was forced to flee their homeland in 1980 to avoid persecution. But there are similarities. Both have harsh, dry summers and cold winters. Mahdavi, with a decade’s experience working in agriculture in Iran, could see the connection.
Soon after he arrived in Australia, Mahdavi was approached by one of the country’s leading almond farmers who sought his expertise in pistachio cultivation. “I had experience working with pistachio farmers in Iran,” Mahdavi says. “I told them pistachios are a long-term investment and take seven years from planting to harvesting and I suggested we better go to the USA to see what they are doing and we visited many of the plantations.”
After travelling to California and sourcing quality pistachio tree seedlings, they soon planted their first crop in a greenhouse environment. It showed promise, so a dedicated parcel of land was swiftly purchased in Robinvale in north-west Victoria.
“Australia doesn’t have mountains like Iran,” Mahdavi says. “The climate is affected by the temperature in the tropics and the south pole and because of that the distribution of the [weather] is different from the northern hemisphere. But pistachios need dry summers, autumns without rain and dormant winters. I prepared a model and selected suitable areas for their growth.
“Those days, when I went to the nursery and touched the plants, it was like touching my babies. There were thousands of plants growing in the best conditions.”
Photograph: Jamila Filippone/The Guardian
Mahdavi worked at Robinvale from 1983 to 1984. Today, Robinvale, part of CMV Farms, is one of the country’s largest pistachio orchards.
CMV Farms director David Crawford says Mahdavi’s assistance with the development of the pistachio rootstock nurseries in Adelaide and Robinvale, and the exploratory trip to California, set the foundation for what was to come.
“These learnings became the foundation of the development of the Robinvale orchard especially in regards to the rootstock selection and orchard design,” Crawford says. “Mehran also travelled with me to the Riverland and Sunraysia regions to discuss pistachios with existing growers and researchers. His experience and knowledge of developing a nursery was greatly appreciated.”
But the partnership broke down. “Initial discussion had been held with Mehran regarding the formation of a partnership to develop a pistachio plantation, however as with many partnerships final agreement could not be reached and our relationship concluded,” Crawford says.
Migrant farmers ‘at the forefront’
The knowledge and skills of immigrants and refugees have underpinned the Australian horticulture industry for decades. Kyalite Pistachios proprietor Chris Joyce started his orchard in New South Wales in 1984. He says migrants are of “critical importance” to the pistachio industry.
Joyce says without the assistance of the Afghan and Malaysian communities, as well as the initial assistance from a Californian migrant who assisted with the management of his orchard in the early years, “my Australian pistachios would be in great difficulty”.
Swan Hill Rural City Council mayor, Stuart King, says the migrant influence on agriculture can be traced back to after the second world war.
“The Italians and Greeks were at the forefront of the development of horticulture in our region,” he says. “Predominantly with grapevines and vegetables but over the years that’s developed and we have all sorts of fruit and vegetables we are sending from our municipality right around Australia.
“Those migrants introduced new agricultural techniques and brought expertise with them and diversified what would’ve been a very English diet. It’s not insignificant.”
Robinvale is in the Sunraysia district of Victoria, one of the most productive in Australia. The region produces 75% of Australia’s table grapes, 68% of its almonds, 48% of its pistachios, 45% of its olive oil and 24% of its citrus. This bounty is still heavily dependent on migrant workers, research by the University of Wollongong found. The study, published in 2020, interviewed permanent migrants, former refugees and seasonal workers from the Sunraysia region including around Mildura and Robinvale, and found that experienced farm workers improved productivity, product quality and ultimately profits.
Co-author Lesley Head, now professor of geography and research at the University of Melbourne, says the archetypal Australian farmer was imagined as white, so migrant skills and knowledge have been consistently undervalued and underestimated in the horticulture industry.
“The challenges to our food security under climate change will only increase, and we need lots of ideas at the table,” she says. “Migrants need a seat at this table – they bring important knowledge and capacities from their home countries, and are experienced at adapting to changing conditions.
“Migrant farmers’ desire to grow culturally important crops in their post-migration contexts, alongside their experience with diverse environmental conditions, constitute a poorly recognised resource for adapting to climate change.”
Fruit Growers Victoria grower services manager, Michael Crisera, says social integration, language barriers, and the cost and legal barriers around migration were among the challenges faced when migrants entered the workforce.
He says migrant communities should be recognised for their contributions to the industry with programs developed so neither workers or farmers were exploited.
Just 13% of participants in the agriculture industry identify as being from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, according to the 2021 census. The National Farmers’ Federation has warned that cuts to the permanent migration cap, which has fallen slightly under the Albanese government but which the opposition proposes to reduce by 25%, could exacerbate the industry’s workforce challenges.
Since leaving Robinvale, Mahdavi has worked in pest control, as a taxi driver and in a cafe. Speaking from his home in a retirement village in Brisbane, he says he is proudest of his role in helping the pistachio industry.
“Now when I go to [the supermarket] to buy pistachios, I see the pistachios I started, and I am happy,” Mahdavi says. “I think I did something positive for my country and I’m really proud of that.”