Pakistan possesses immense potential of olive plantation
by Tahir Ali
PESHAWAR, Mar. 16 (Gwadar Pro) - Pakistan has immense potential of olive plantation due to availability of land and favourable environment in the country. If olives are planted on Pakistan’s arable land, the country could become one of the world’s leading olive oil producers and exporters.
China could be one of the potential markets for Pakistani olive production in the future, which could also help reduce the trade deficit between the two countries, according to experts. Currently, Olive brands from Spain and Italy are highly recognized in the Chinese markets.
The government of Pakistan is increasing olive cultivation in the country. Olive plantation under ‘10 Billion Tsunami Tree’ initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government is one of such projects aiming to increase olive products, reduce the impacts of climate change and to support poverty alleviation.
“Olive Plantation will help address the country’s food security, climate change, unemployment and will save our foreign exchange,” Imran Khan said while addressing the launching ceremony of olive plantation campaign in Nowshera district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Monday.
According to KP Government spokesperson Kamran Bangash “Olive Tree Tsunami will not only ward off the increased conversion of land into deserts but a national resource of a healthy edible oil will emerge as well.”
Under the program, four million olive plants would be grafted in KP to produce olive products. An area of 27 hectares had been selected for the plantation of olives in Amangarh, Nowshera.
Talking to Gwadar Pro Professor Iqrar Ahmed Khan of Horticulture at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad said that olive cultivation in Pakistan has become a success. “Olives have been cultivated for the last three decades in the country; However, the proper screening of olive varieties in recent times has improved the cultivation of the plants,” he said.
Dr. Taj Naseeb Khan, Project Director, Promotion of Olive Cultivation on Commercial Scale in Pakistan told Gwadar Pro via phone that the country has 12.72 million hectares of land, which is cultivable for olive plantation. Out of this area, four million hectares is the most suitable land with proper irrigation systems. Currently, olives are cultivated at 35,000 hectares of land. According to media reports, Pakistan extracted 11,000 tons of extra virgin olives during the last season. However, Mr. Khan said there is “no statistical data available about the current production of olives in Pakistan”.
According to Dr Khan, KP, the erstwhile tribal area, Potohar region in Punjab and Khuzdar in Balochistan contain the most suitable land for olive cultivation.
Experts believe, as agriculture is one of the key sectors in Pakistan’s economy, both countries should deepen and expand cooperation in the agriculture sector under CPEC. Pakistan can adopt the latest Chinese technology for the cultivation of olive plants.
