STAFF REPORT IBD: The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) has started a project “Promotion of Olive Cultivation for Economic Development and Poverty Alleviation” in the country with the financial assistance of Italian government.
According to details, under this project thousands of acres olive saplings will be planted in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, FATA and Baluchistan.
In this connection, researchers and olive growers have recently organised an Olive Plantation Day at Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Chakwal.
BARI has established an olive nursery for distribution of olive plants to growers in the region. PARC and BARI are engaged in making every effort to promote olive cultivation in the country.
While addressing on this occasion, scientists emphasized on the importance of olive and olive cultivation in Pakistan. The Punjab government has already declared the Pothowar area as Olive Valley. On this occasion olive plants were distributed among olive growers of the Pothwar Region in order to popularize the olive cultivation in the area.
Dr. Muhammad Munir Goraya, Senior Director (Crops) PARC/National Project Director is coordinating and supervising the activities of this project at national level.