ISLAMABAD   -  The government will provide matching grants for the installation of olive processing plants and olive crop containers to promote olive cultivation on a commercial scale and to increase its value addition, thereby enhancing the farm income of micro-farming communities in the country. The matching grants would be provided for the installation of processing plants through public-private partnerships, aimed at facilitating the proper processing and value addition of farm produce, ensuring a fair rate of return for local farming communities, said Dr Tariq, National Project Director for Pakistan’s Promotion of Olive Cultivation. He further informed that matching grants would also be provided to local olive farmers for the purchase of storage containers, adding that this will help ensure quality and adherence to international standards for the production of extra-virgin olive oil, ultimately boosting the country’s exports.

Talking to APP here on Wednesday, he said that over one million olive plants will be planted during the current year tree plantation drive, which will help the efforts to boost local edible oil production and support the government’s initiatives to increase green cover. The other objective of the plantation drive is to expedite the efforts to conserve soil, water and mitigate potential climate impacts on the ecosystem, he added. These olive plants will be planted during two tree plantation drives: the first drive will take place from September to November, and the second from March to April, 

he said that over 5.6 million plants have already been planted and there is large-scale cultivation of olive trees for olive oil. About 500,000 to 800,000 olive oil nursery plants are planted every year. In addition to the olive plantation efforts across potential areas of the country, a target has been set to install drip irrigation systems over 10,000 acres of water-stressed areas, he said adding that this initiative aims to facilitate olive cultivation on marginal lands and enhance the farm income of local farmers. There is significant potential for wild olive grafting in areas such as AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, and FATA. 

A grafting drive was launched in these regions, which proved successful, resulting in a large number of wild olive trees being grafted to produce olives, he added.

He said that the government was also working to enhance the value addition of olive products to promote the cottage industry to enhance the income of rural women to make them economically empowered and independent.