5-year Olive Project Proposed For Merged Areas

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jul, 2021 ) :Khyber Pakthunkhwa Agriculture and Livestock Department on Thursday proposed a five years olive cultivation project worth Rs2,000 million for merged areas aimed at making Pakistan's self sufficient inedible oil.

Ahmed Saeed, Project Director Olive Trees KP told APP that Rs2,000 million have been allocated in ADP 2021-22 for olive plantation in all seven tribal districts in three phases under the landmark Prime Minister National Agriculture Emergency Programme worth over Rs309 billion.

In the first phase, olive cultivation on a large scale would be started from Bajaur district and later extended to South Waziristan, North Waziristan,Kurram, Orakzai, Khyber and Mohmand districts. Government would spend Rs80 million on its first phase during the financial year 2021-22. He said Federal and KP Governments have joined hands for olive cultivation in KP including merged areas keeping in view of its suitable climate and better soil.

."The entire KP especially Malakand Division, Peshawar Valley, merged areas of erstwhile FATA and right side of River Indus is most suitable for olive cultivation," he added.

Ahmed Syed said new olive orchards on over 30,000 acres of land would be raised during the next five years in KP under the Federal Government Olive Project launched in entire country including KP following its inauguration by Prime Minister at Azakhel in Nowshera district in March this year. Similarly, about 4.02 million olive plants would be planted and grafting in another four million wild olive trees would be achieved during the said period in KP besides about 10.41 million olive trees would be planted in the country on a commercial basis.

New olive orchards on 75,000 acres of government and private lands would be raised by 2026 in all the four provinces. Likewise, approximately,10.41 million olive plants would be planted besides grafting in another 10million wild olive trees would be achieved in Pakistan.New orchard gardens on 13,264 acres were raised and wild olive grafting in over 470,000 plants achieved till March 15 last, he said,adding about 168,797 kilograms fruits produced with 19,816 liter (11.73percent) oil production in 2020.

Punjab Government has declared Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Khushab,Attock, Jehlum of Potohar region as "Olive Valley" whereas AgricultureInstitute Tarnab (ARI), Peshawar declared Centre of Excellence for Research onolives and Sang Battai in Mardan as Olive Valley in KP.

Inspite of 4.4 million hectares suitable land for oliveplantation, he said billions of rupees are being spent on import of edible oilincluding soybean, palm oil, sunflowers and others related commodities since1970 by Pakistan. Ahmed Syed said Pakistan has imported around 3,000 tons of oliveoil worth Rs1.241 billion during 2017-18 and this amount could be saved bybringing the said areas under olive cover.

"Spain is producing about 45 percent of total edible oil fromolive cultivation from only 2.6 million hectares while Pakistan, despite havinga vast suitable area of 4.4 million hectares is importingaround 75 percent edible oil for domestic consumption." First olive promotional project funded by Italian Government wasstarted on June 1, 2012 in Pakistan under which plantations on 1,500 hectareswere achieved.

Later, the project worth Rs3.82 billion was handed over toPakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Islamabad after devolution ofPakistan Oil Development board on February 12, 2020 and was completed on June30, 2015. To capitalize on the good work of Italian assisted project, hesaid the Federal Government had launched� 'Promotion of Olive Trees Cultivation onCommercial Scale' project in Punjab, KP, erstwhile FATA and Baluchistan.Nine oil extraction machines and units including at AgricultureResearch Institute (ARI) Tarnab Peshawar, ARI Swat, in Kohat, Dir Lower,Shinkyari Manshera and Talash Dir Lower were setup.

The phase-wise registrationprocess of private olive nurseries began in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Differentproducts including Olive Pickle, green tea, olive biscuits, beverage and sweetswere prepared. Over eight certification laboratories would be setup and PakOlive Company would be raised to ensure stability in the olive business besidesincreasing its production and profits. He said olive cultivation was aprofitable business as about Rs3,60,000 income could be produced per acre.Ahmed said the government would help farmers in establishingInfrastructure for olive nurseries on an equally shared matching grant basisbesides setting up of fruits processing units for olive and oil extractionunits in the province.