New programme: Local cultivation of olives stressed

SIALKOT: A plan has been prepared for the promotion of olive cultivation in the country and Azad Kashmir. Official sources said that the overall demand of olive oil was 1.9 million ton of which 1.3 million tons was being imported from different countries for catering to domestic needs, costing over Rs28 billion annually. He said under the programme, promotion of olive cultivation was being stressed, while necessary information and guidance was being extended to olive growers in Balochistan. In Punjab, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal and Khushab districts were the potential areas for olive cultivation. Olive orchard cultivation throughout these potential areas of Punjab could produce much quantity of oil, which may bring Pakistan’s olive oil import share to zero. There was a vast potential for olive cultivation in Pakistan which can be adopted by two different ways like new plantation and grafting the available wild varieties.

Published in The Express Tribune, March  10^th,  2015.

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