Islamabad: The International Olive Council (IOC) on Thursday (October 21) formally admitted Pakistan as a new member of the council, news sources reported. Previously, Pakistan was an associate member of the IOC which is an intergovernmental organisation of countries producing olives or subsequent products.
Following the full membership of the council, Pakistan will be able to access the international olive market, gain help from international expertise and technical assistance from the IOC along with various varieties of Olives to cultivate in the Potohar region. During a visit to the Barani Agricultural Research Institute in Rawalpindi, IOC Executive Director Abdul Latif Ghadira stated that there is great market potential in Pakistan to produce and export olives and olive products. He also appreciated the government’s efforts in research and establishing olive processing and growing facilities, and said that Pakistan will soon become a net exporter of the products.
Furthermore, according to the details of the initial phase of the olive cultivation project, Pakistan has handed 1.5 million olive seedlings to farmers, which will be grown on 11,000 acres of land. The drip irrigation system will also get a net subsidy of 70% as part of the project.
Balochistan has been designated as a fertile place for olive production and cultivation, with Pothohar as the second most significant facility for the olive growing project. Pakistan now has 3.6 million olive plants spread across 31,000 acres of land, with plans in the pipeline to expand to 75,000 acres.
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
