Oil palm farming attracts investors

Domestic and foreign investors have started showing interest in oil palm farming following satisfactory results from trial production of the oil palm fruit in Thatta.

Besides a domestic edible oil company, a delegation of local traders and the Malaysian embassy visited a 50-acre oil palm fruit orchard in Kathore, Thatta to assess quality of the fruit and suitability of soil.

The delegation along with Sindh Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development (ECCCD) Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri also visited a palm oil producing mill set up by the provincial government and inspected its production process, said an ECCCD spokesperson on Monday.

“Expressing satisfaction over the quality and production environment in the region, officials were of the view that it provided excellent investment opportunities for oil palm cultivation and palm oil production, which should be fully utilised by the global and local business communities,” he said.

On the occasion, the secretary told the delegation that Sindh had crossed an important milestone through successful experimentation with oil palm cultivation.

He said that the project would play a key role in prosperity of Pakistan and meet domestic demand for palm oil to a great extent.