Italy to help promote olive production

ISLAMABAD: Italy has initiated a €2.4 million project to promote olive oil production in Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan. The programme will reduce Pakistan’s dependence on imported edible oil resulting in a saving of millions of rupees in foreign exchange.

This was stated by the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan during a briefing held here on Wednesday.

Italian experts have identified 800,000 hectares of land in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Northern Punjab which is suitable for growing fine quality olives.

Officials of the Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare, a branch of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for providing support in the field of agriculture across the globe, have said that the three-year project would help Pakistan establish its olive sector.

The aim of the venture is to first produce enough olive oil for domestic consumption and then for export to the Chinese market.

They said that the Italian government, in association with the Pakistani Ministry of Agriculture, will provide training to local growers to ensure quality farming of olive trees.

Italy is also funding a €1.5 million project to improve fruit farming in the Malakand division.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2010.