RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government, under its five-year (2015-2020) plan, has announced to give two million free of cost olive saplings to the farmers of Pothohar region.
Barani Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) Director Dr Muhammad Tariq, while talking to the state-owned news agency, said that the first phase of the plantation campaign would formally be launched on Feb 15. He said that the applications were invited in December, 2015 for provision of olive saplings from the eligible farmers of Pothohar region, which includes Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jehlum, Attock and Khushab Districts.
The programme is being launched on the direction of Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, which is aimed at promoting local production of olive oil and curtailing import bill of edible oil. The applicant would be required to pay the expenditure incurred on transportation and pit digging for planting saplings in the orchard.
The growers would be offered subsidy in accordance with the set rules and procedure and they would fully comply with the recommendations of the Provincial Agriculture Department.
The BARI director informed APP that the scrutiny and selection of applications was carried out till December 31, 2015 and provision of saplings to the selected growers would start from February 15 till end of March.
