Within the next three years, 1,500 hectares of land will be brought under olive cultivation with an aim to exploit the potential in this particular sector and make the country self-sufficient in olive production.
The three-year project had been launched under the debt swap agreement between Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and Italian government for promotion of olive farming in the country, a top official of the council said.
“The PARC has already identified olive cultivation areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Potohar region and Balochistan and had started work on planting olive trees in March this year,” Project Direct Olive Production and Senior Director Crops Dr Mohammad Munir told APP.
Once established, the olive gardens are expected to start bearing fruit after three years (in 2015).
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2012.
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