The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) has launched buying of olive from growers by setting up procurement centers in Chakwal, Fateh Jang and Attock. These centers have been set up in public-private partnership by the Barani Agricultural Research Institute (Chakwal) on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Spokesman of the department said on Tuesday that growers could sell their olive crop at these centers without any hassle. It is hoped that this would not only ensure good return to olive growers of their hard labour but also enhance olive production.
The spokesman further stated that special baskets would also be available at these centers for transportation of olive as they help in saving the fruit from wastage and adulteration. He advised the growers to bring olive fruit to these centers after segregating the thin and fat olives.
It is pertinent to add that the Punjab government is working on a plan to turn the Potohar valley into 'Olive Valley' as a research claims that the marginal lands in Potohar area can be put to sustainable use to increase edible oil production and produce premium quality olive oil for export.
The research says that investing on rehabilitation of these degraded lands through olive plantations will not only minimize land degradation but will ensure optimal use of lands leading to more sustained income to growers, generate employment in rural areas and can be the effective way to reduce rural poverty, and produce export surplus for improved balance of payments.
The project objectives are in line with the sectoral strategy directly related to enhance the agricultural productivity, self-reliance in agricultural commodities, promote diversification by high-value crops and to increase small farmers' income, provide resources, skills and information to enable farmers to be linked with consumers of prospective markets, encourage production of appropriate fruits to high potential marginal lands and thereby discourage conversion of agricultural lands into urban settlements.
According to a survey conducted by the Agri Department in 2015, there is a considerable marginal/unproductive/under-utilized land (0.700 million acres) available in Potohar and adjoining areas of Punjab which can be utilized for olive cultivation and provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to the farmers. The present government's initiative of promoting olive in the province will help in alleviating poverty and improving socio-economic conditions of rural farmers in the region and will also contribute to the development of cottage industry. Providing permanent and productive tree cover in the form of olives would help to adapt adverse effects of climate change.
The long-term objective of the project is to increase local production of premium quality edible oil through supporting olive farming and to create opportunities to improve balance of payments through export of olive oil.
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