50,000 olive plants cultivated in Abbottabad

Official says pilot project spread over 500 hectares of land

ABBOTTABAD:

A pilot project on the cultivation of olives was successfully conducted on an area of 500 hectares in four union councils of District Abbottabad where more than 50,000 olive plants were planted, said Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad on Friday.

He expressed these views while addressing the distribution ceremony of motorcycles among the field staff of the Agriculture Department under the ICT project.

He said that agriculture is the backbone of any country's development for which the administration is ensuring all possible support to the Agriculture Department.

More steps would be taken regarding olive plantations in other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well, he added.

He further said that the efficiency of the Agriculture Department will be further improved through modern mobility vehicles and technology for enhanced communication. He also emphasised the importance of olives and olive oil in Islam.

One of the speakers, Tariq Salam Marwat emphasised that Abbottabad is very suitable for the plantation and transplantation of olives. He claimed that the district administration will ensure all possible cooperation with the Agriculture Department in this regard.

District Director Agriculture Department Mukhtiar ur Rehman Yousafzai thanked DC Abbottabad for participating in the program and highlighted the challenges faced during the olive pilot project.

While describing Abbottabad as a suitable ground for olive cultivation, he appreciated the cooperation of the district administration and the landowners and expressed hope that the administration would continue to support to Agriculture Department to carry out olive cultivation on a large scale in near future.

DC Abbottabad and district agriculture officers also distributed certificates of honour to the officers and farmers who showed excellent performance during the project. Earlier, DC Abbottabad had inspected various sections of the Agriculture Department, including model farms. He appreciated the provision of motorbikes to the field staff under the ICT project and distributed the keys to the motorbikes to the field staff.

The main objective of the olive pilot project is to focus on sustainable agriculture growth with an aim of eradicating poverty and hunger, achieving food security in the country and improved nutrition, and to promote sustainable agriculture.

During olive planting, the locals and farmers actively participated in the project and cooperated with the Department of Agriculture, and played their role in making the pilot project successful.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2022.