All Resources Being Used To Make Potohar An Olive Valley: Secretary

All resources are being utilised to make Pothohar an olive valley and in this connection technical training is being imparted to farmers besides provision of two million free olive plants

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2019 ) :All resources are being utilised to make Pothohar an olive valley and in this connection technical training is being imparted to farmers besides provision of two million free olive plants.

Punjab Agriculture Secretary Wasif Khurshid said this while addressing a meeting of the Olive Development Group at Agriculture House on Friday.

He directed the relevant authorities to document the olive varieties that have good yielding capacity and to develop good relations with the research institutes of Spain Agriculture Department and other countries so that better market could be ensured for the olive growers in the coming years.

He said that with the establishment of the olive valley, cultivation of olive would be possible on 1.

5 million acres of land and added that all stakeholders should play their role for the success of the project.

The secretary said that steps should be taken to provide technical information to the olive growers at district level.

The promotion of olive cultivation in Pothohar would help meet edible oil needs, which would ultimately lead to saving forex.

Agriculture Research Director General Dr Abid briefed the secretary, saying that so far 966,000 saplings of olive had been planted against the set target of 2 million in Pothohar region.

He said that Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal and USAID Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP) had signed an agreement o set up a Centre of Excellence for Olive Research and Training Centre (CEFORT).