Pakistan to send 100 agricultural graduates to Italy for olive sector training: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced that Pakistan will send 100 agricultural graduates to Italy for advanced training in olive cultivation, processing, marketing and various aspects of the value chain as the government unveiled the “Pakistan National Olive Value Chain Policy”.

Addressing the launch ceremony in Islamabad, the prime minister said practical measures were essential to bring about an agricultural revolution in the country and pledged that the government would provide farmers with all possible facilities.

He said Pakistan could become self-sufficient in edible oil production through the promotion of olive cultivation, helping the country save valuable foreign exchange.

“Pakistan imports edible oil worth around $4 billion every year,” the prime minister said, adding that even a reduction of $400 million in the annual import bill would be a significant achievement.

He said he had also directed the authorities to promote the cultivation of palm oil and sunflower to help reduce the country’s edible oil import bill.

Pakistan-Italy cooperation

The prime minister highlighted the longstanding trade and economic ties between Pakistan and Italy, particularly cooperation in agriculture and tractor manufacturing.

He said the two countries would further expand cooperation in olive production, value addition, modern processing and exports.

The 100 agricultural graduates sent to Italy would receive modern training in olive cultivation, processing, marketing and different segments of the value chain, he added.

Shehbaz also praised Pakistani farmers, researchers and exporters for their efforts to develop the country’s olive sector, saying they had demonstrated that commitment, hard work and modern thinking could produce significant results.

He particularly appreciated the efforts of olive growers Abdul Jabbar from Loralai, Qurrat-ul-Ain from Mardan and Yaqoob Izhar from Chakwal.

The prime minister said the federal and provincial governments would work together to facilitate farmers and provide them with the support required to promote agricultural development.

He stressed that practical steps were necessary to bring about an agricultural revolution in Pakistan.

Focus on olive value chain

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain said the government would provide farmers with high-quality, disease-free seeds and use technology to identify and address potential crop losses in a timely manner.

He said olive was not merely a crop but represented a complete value chain capable of creating new business opportunities.

Rana Tanveer described Pakistan’s permanent membership of the International Olive Council as a major achievement and said the country would benefit from modern research, technology, training and international certification.

He added that Pakistan and Italy would expand their cooperation in the olive sector to include joint projects.

Secretary of National Food Security and Research Aamir Ali Ahmed said the launch of the National Olive Value Chain Policy was a welcome development and expressed confidence that Pakistan would soon begin exporting olive oil to markets in South, East and Central Asia.

He said Pakistan needed to move beyond traditional agricultural practices and focus on production, processing, value addition, quality, branding and marketing.

He also confirmed that Pakistan had become a regular member of the International Olive Council.

Olive cultivation expands

Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Ogo Chiara Tallani said Pakistan and Italy had a longstanding partnership and that bilateral cooperation was expanding in agriculture, science, education, trade and security.

He said the National Olive Value Chain Policy was the result of a long process and highlighted the significant expansion of olive cultivation in Pakistan.

According to the ambassador, Pakistan had around 500,000 olive trees in 2016, while more than seven million olive plants are now being cultivated across the country.

He said more than 700 stakeholders associated with the olive value chain had received training, while the Olive Culture Project was providing various forms of support to Pakistan’s olive sector.

At the ceremony, olive growers from different parts of the country shared their experiences with the prime minister.

Abdul Jabbar, an olive grower from Loralai, said increasing olive cultivation could help Pakistan reduce its debt burden and contribute to the country’s economy.

Qurrat-ul-Ain Irfan from Mardan said it took 15 years to obtain olive production and expressed hope that output would increase significantly and contribute to foreign exchange earnings.

Yaqoob Izhar, an olive grower from Chakwal, said he was the only landowner in his family and decided to cultivate olives in Chakwal after attending an exhibition in London.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz distributed shields among olive growers, researchers and experts. He also visited stalls showcasing different olive products and spoke with farmers and entrepreneurs involved in olive production across the country.