SIALKOT: The Punjab government has decided to promote olive crop cultivation in the province to fulfil local requirement of olive oil.
Official sources told APP on Sunday that under the plan special attention will be focused on scientific cultivation of olive crop for attaining yielding results. In Punjab, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal and Khushab districts are the potential areas for Olive cultivation. Olive orchard cultivation throughout these potential areas of Punjab could produce much quantity of oil, which may certainly bring Pakistan’s olive oil import share to zero.
The prevailing environment, minimum/maximum temperature, soil types, average rainfall and other related growth factors in Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal and Khushab areas are exactly according to olive cultivation requirements. The marginal lands could be utilized for olive cultivation without replacing the other crops and it will help in reducing the import bill of the country, sources added.
Meanwhile, the agriculture department Punjab was conducting awareness and training programmes to facilitate the people by creating awareness on olive cultivation techniques and producing value added products.
According to available information, the overall demand of olive oil was over 1.9 million ton, of which 1.3 million ton was being imported from various countries for catering domestic needs and requirements costing billion of rupees every year.
