LAHORE: Speakers at a webinar recommended that olive growers of Pakistan to adopt modern techniques for production technology to increase the yield per hectare of the crop to meet the target of producing 16,000 tons of olive oil by the year 2027.
Currently, Pakistan is producing about 900 tons of table olive per year, all of which are consumed domestically. Value of imports of “Olive oil and its fraction” to Pakistan totalled US$12.4 million in 2022. Annual growth decreased by 4.93% in value terms compared to 2021. On the other hand, Pakistan has exported the same valuing US$32,000 in 2022 whereas it was US$6,503 only in 2021. This signifies huge potential, national demand and potential of exports, speakers said at a webinar arranged by the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) recently.
The topic was ‘Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Olive Cultivation in Punjab’. Pakistan has a large area of land suitable for growing olive trees and producing olive since 2010.
Keeping in view above, PHDEC hosted the webinar to educate the olive farmers/growers, key farm workers on the subject. The expert from Punjab Centre of Excellence for Olive Research and Training (CEFORT), Barani Agriculture Research Centre (BARI), educated the small holders of olive.
Dr Muhammad Ramzan Anser, Project Director, Center of Excellence For Olive Research and Training (CEFORT) BARI Chakwal Shared the current area and production of olive in Pakistan and last 10 year’s growth trend. He explained the domestic and global yield per acre and briefed the audiences that the soils of different regions of Punjab are best suited to olive crop. He briefed that currently more than 2 million plants had been cultivated in more than 10 districts of Punjab. He discussed that un-availability olive saplings, agronomic practices, research on olive crop, pre and post-harvest issues and lack of olive oil extraction facilities are the major challenges for olive crop.
Dr Muhammad Ramzan recommended that olive growers should adopt modern techniques for production technology to increase the yield per hectare. He further added that Center of Excellence For Olive Research and Training (CEFORT) providing technical assistance to private sector entrepreneurs for commercialization of olive oil and value added products in Pakistan.
A large number of participants from growers, processors, exporters, R&D and academia participated in the webinar and appreciated the PHDEC’s initiative of conducting the webinar.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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