The government has taken a number of steps to enhance production of edible oil in the country. The area under canola cultivation has been increased from eight thousand acres in 1995 to over four hundred thousand acres in 2008. Sunflower area was increased from one hundred eighty-five thousand acres to 1.2 million acres during this period.
According to official sources private sector industrial units have been encouraged to announce minimum procurement price of sunflower and canola which motivates growers to increase area under these crops.
Pakistan Oilseed Development Board has also entered into production technology of oilseed crops by producing Hybrids and Synthetic varieties of canola and sunflower.
The Board has also entered into plantation economy by introducing and launching oil-palm plantation on 2,260 acres in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan. This activity has also been extended to private sector farms. Quality canola seed produced by the Board is being provided to growers at economical prices.
The board has also established nine hundred and fifty-five acres Olive orchards in NWFP, Potohar and Balochistan. This includes 410 acres orchards in public sector and 545 acres orchards on private lands. About six million wild olive trees have been grafted with European type olive species for conversion into oil bearing species.
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