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ISLAMABAD: The Olive Plantation Project would generate an estimated Rs858 million revenue by 2020, with a long-term goal of creating an ‘olive economy’ for rural communities, said Dr Muhammad Tariq, Director of Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) on Friday.
Talking to newsmen in Chakwal, Dr Tariq said the Pothwar region of Punjab offers favourable climatic and topographic conditions for olive plantation.
The Pothwar region is being developed into an ‘olive valley’, with plantation of 2.4 million certified nursery olive plants on 15,100 acres of land under a project which is being managed by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council.
By 2020, about 2.4 million olive plants will be produce high quality oil and become a major cash crop in Pothwar region.
Dr Tariq said a state-of-the-art olive extraction mill has been set up at BARI to provide free of cost facility to olive growers. The mill has a capacity of extracting 500kg of extra-virgin olive oil per hour. So far, during the current season 12 tonnes of extra virgin olive has been extracted at the mill. The harvesting of olives begins during post-Kharif season and continues till the end of November.
The long-term objective of the project is to increase indigenous production of premium quality edible oil through supporting olive farming and to create opportunities to improve balance of payments through export of the produce.
According to project details, during 2015-16, a total of 283,500 plants were grown on 2100 hectares; and 337,500 plants in 2500 acres during 2016-17. Plantation of 405,000 plants on 3000 acres of land will be completed during 2017-18; 472,500 plants on 3500 acres in 2018-19; and 540,000 plants on 4000 acres by 2019-20.
The Punjab government is implementing a five year project (2015-20) under which Rs2 billion has been allocated for the promotion of olive plantation in Pothwar districts of Chakwal, Jhelum, Attock, Rawalpindi, Mianwali and Khushab. 2 million olive plants are being distributed to olive growers free of cost.
Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2017
