RAWALPINDI: Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday said the Potohar region is ideal for olive production, and called for farmers to be educated on olive cultivation and introduced to olive production technologies, harvesting practices and irrigation schedules.

The seminar was arranged by the Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) in collaboration with the USAID funded Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP).

Dr Ayesha Saeed, the project director of the Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (PIPIP) Programme Management Unit (PMU), was invited to the event as the chief guest, while PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Dr Rai Niaz Ahmed was the guest of honour.

The seminar was attended by 200 participants, including olive farmers and stakeholders from research and academic institutions, government departments and private sector organisations. It included multiple sessions on various techniques and technologies for olive cultivation.

PEEP representatives also presented an overview of the project’s matching grants programme, as well as other initiatives aimed at olive sector development.

In other presentations, seminar participants were informed of the different phases of olive production, propagation, post harvest handling, processing, storage and the development of olive products.

Among those attended were USAID chief of party Mohammad Junaid, Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI) director general Dr Abid Mehmood and representatives from the Barani Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).

Speaking at the seminar, PIPIP’s Dr Saeed said agriculture was one of the Punjab government’s priority development sectors.

“The olive sector has numerous potential in Punjab, particularly in the region of Potohar. The Punjab government is enthusiastic to promote olive sector development as it can help the country produce a great amount of olive oil,” she said.

She said the Potohar region is suitable for olive cultivation, the plant does not require much water, fertiliser or pesticides and an arid agriculture are is best for cultivation.

“The product has a very high price, and the olive crop has certain distinct advantages over other conventional horticulture crops.”

Dr Ahmed said the government has taken a keen interest in developing the agriculture sector. He said the government has declared the Potohar region an ‘olive valley’, and the area possesses the ideal climatic conditions and land for the commercial cultivation of olives.

He said the horticulture sector has been neglected for a long time because conventional crops were not yielding high returns to growers, and so focus should be shifted to other crops, such as olives, that give high yields.

The PEEP is a $15 million, five year USAID project to improve the business environment in Punjab’s livestock, dairy and horticulture sectors.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2016