The Ministry of Climate Change has completed all arrangements to plant maximum number of olive trees at specific places in the country for promoting its health benefits and saving precious foreign exchange spent on its import.
“Olive is considered to be the most productive fruit and that is why various steps have been taken for its promotion under an ongoing 'Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme,” Muhammad Omer, a senior official at the Forest Department, said on Sunday.
He said that initially, the ministry has planned to plant these trees in areas like Chakwal, Hangu and some other parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Moreover, the official said that an estimated amount of Rs1.2 billion has been set aside for 'Olive Tsunami' project as the government was taking many other positive steps to develop forestation. "We are also collaborating with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to promote research in olive cultivation," he added.
Pakistan is not a traditional oil producing country, however, a wild sub-species of olive tree known as 'Olea Cuspidata' does develop in different parts of the country.
Olive timber was also being planted experimentally in collaboration with the Italian government for the last many years.
Pakistan spends billions of rupees on import of olive oil to meet its daily requirements but efforts and different programmes of the incumbent government would bring improvement in indigenous production and help minimise precious foreign exchange being spent on olive import. app
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