STAFF REPORT IBD: A well-knitted plan has been prepared for the promotion of Olive cultivation in the country and Azad Kashmir. Overall demand of olive oil is 1.9 million tons of which 1.3 million tons were being imported from different countries for catering the domestic needs and requirements costing Rs 28 billion annually.
“Special attention would be focused on the promotion of Olive cultivation and necessary information and guidance are being extended to Olive growers in Balochistan. Olive model farms are playing instrumental role in cultivation of Olive crop in various parts and a large number of cultivators showing their keen interest in Olive crop in the Province,” sources told this scribe.
In Punjab, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal and Khushab districts are the potential areas for Olive cultivation. The Olive orchard cultivation throughout these potential areas of Punjab could produce much quantity of oil, which may certainly bring Pakistans Olive oil import share to zero resultantly enabling its exports to mount.
There is 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.