PSDP Olive & Olive Culture Project

TEXT: 1- Promotion of Olive Cultivation on Commercial Scale in Pakistan (Phase-II)

The government of Pakistan is committed for the promotion of Olive cultivation and its value chain in Pakistan. For this purpose, a flagship project “Promotion of Olive cultivation on commercial Scale in Pakistan, Phase-II” is being implemented from 2021-22 for 03 years till 2023-24. Through this initiative, 75,000 acres of land mainly culturable waste in all provinces and autonomous regions of AJ&K and Gilgit Baltistan will be brought under olive cultivation. Special focus is given to the grafting of already present 5 million wild olives after detailed survey & study and make it a fruitful economic asset for the farmers and country. Moreover, water saving technology such as Drip Irrigation System is also being installed along with olive plantation in areas with low water delta. Olive value chain will be strengthened by the provision of 500 pre & post harvesting tools on matching grants. Fruit processing units and olive oil extraction units will be provided along with storage, filling, and testing equipment on matching grants to farmers, stakeholders, and entrepreneurs to promote the value chain and create employment opportunities for youth and Gender in the country. Pakistan being in the early stages of olive value chain need standardization of olive oil and value-added products. For this purpose, dedicate certification Labs for the testing, quality control and further exports of olive commodities will be established in the country. The project envisaged that with these interventions, Pakistan will be in a better position in olive production and value chain globally.

2- Olive Culture- “Holistic and Multi professional mechanism for a Pakistani Olive Value Chain”

Though Olive cultivation is being done in the country for last decade in Pakistan, yet there are certain missing links in the value chain of olive sector. For addressing the missing pitfalls, a new project was conceptualized for technical assistance to the Pakistani Olive sector. This project is implemented for 26 months (January 22 – March 2024) executed jointly by Government of Italy through International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) Bari, Italy, Italian Agency for international Cooperation (AICS) and Pakistan Oilseed Department, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Islamabad with the total cost of £ 1.5 million. The project is aimed at Provision of a baseline information of olive sector in Pakistan, working out the challenges, trade & future trends in olive sector, Establishment of Pakistan Olive Oil Council (POOC) for national & Int. linkages, Formulation of standards/guidelines for labeling, branding, marketing certification of olive oil & products under POOC (Advisory Council), Strengthening rural economy & small-scale cottage industry, Collaborative research & development in olive sector, Ensuring the participation of women and youth in olive value addition, Building value chain & promotion of olive agro-tourism and rendering Certified trainings - nursery to post harvest, HACCP, GPM & Global GAP. The project is expected to have outcome and results such as Agronomic, cultural, and social heritage of the olive oil value chain valorized, the rural development of the olive value chain is supported by an appropriate policy, Pakistani olive value chain improved and characterized at different levels, Women and young people are engaged in income generation activities along the olive value chain and Pakistani society is engaged in promoting the olive culture.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022