NOWSHERA: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said that large-scale olive cultivation would prove to be the best investment for the country in terms of earning valuable foreign exchange and ensuring food security.

Launching the countrywide olive cultivation drive in Nowshera district, the prime minister said the country had immense potential in cultivation of olive trees owing to its suitable topography and climate from north to south.

He said that water-scarce areas such as Suleiman Mountains near Waziristan, Balochistan’s plains and Punjab’s diverse terrain offered environment for low-irrigation olive farming.

The prime minister said that olive fruit produced edible oil of high nutritional value, which could also be used to meet local demand besides its export.

He said Pakistan had more potential than Spain, the leading olive producer in the world, and could explore possibilities with effective strategy for olive cultivation.

The country, he said, was blessed with 12 climatic zones and diverse landscape and stressed the need for promoting planting a variety of crops and fruit.

Mr Khan said that olive had also been mentioned in the holy Quran for several times which enhanced relevance and significance of this wonder fruit.

He said olive cultivation project would generate employment opportunities for local people, both short and long-term, due to long life of the plant.

The prime minister said olive cultivation was being carried out under Ten Billion Tsunami Tree project, adding that plantation of other local fruits would also be included in the programme.

He said to save future generations from climate change, plantation was the key step and also to reduce rising pollution levels in big cities of the country.

He mentioned the already launched Miyawaki Japanese technique in several areas of Lahore and Islamabad with an objective to get dense greenery at faster than usual pace.

He asked the head of Forest Department to use the similar plantation method in Peshawar as the city touched alarming levels of pollution.

The prime minister lauded efforts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor for materialising the Ten Billion Tree Project across the province.

Earlier, the prime minister planted a sapling of olive at the model plantation site of Amangarh in Nowshera, where around 7,200 olive saplings will be planted.

The prime minister also visited the cultivation area, where he was given a briefing about potential of olive plantation on the occasion.

According to official details, the expected economic return of four million grafted olive plants after sixth year will be around Rs10.8 billion annually with a total income of Rs54 billion after 10 years. The olive oil production in the sixth year will be approximately 7.2 million litres with average fruit production per plant at 15 kg.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2021