30/12/2024
The Punjab government plans to plant 50 million olive trees on 10 million acres of land by 2026. Currently, Pakistan has five million cultivated olive trees and millions of wild ones. Olive farming is expected to meet local edible oil needs, reduce the $4.5 billion annual edible oil import bill, and provide secondary benefits.
The country became the 19th member of the International Olive Council (IOC) in 2022 and exported olive oil worth $1.9 million. Key initiatives include grafting wild olive trees, cultivating new plants, and establishing olive processing mills. Collaboration with Italy, Spain, and China supports these efforts. Suitable regions for olive farming include Pothohar (Chakwal, Attock, Mianwali), Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, with over 10 million acres of land available.
Challenges like infrastructure, training, and marketing facilities need addressing to ensure growth in this sector.
