PARC designed a comprehensive training program for olive farmers in order to promote olive cultivation across the potential areas of the country to enhance farm income of marginalized and small scale growers.
Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) has designed a comprehensive training program for olive farmers in order to promote olive cultivation across the potential areas of the country to enhance farm income of marginalized and small scale growers.
The 18 days long training program would executed through different research stations of the council working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan and farmers would be trained about the innovative technologies to attain maximum output of olive, said Dr Ahmad Tariq National Project Director of Olive Cultivation in National Agriculture Research Center (NARC).
On Thursday, he said that Italian experts would impart training to local olive farmers on orchard management, pruning ,irrigation, fertilizer, disease and pest management and harvesting, adding the training programs would start by next month.
He informed that out of the total 07 training secession would be held in different locations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province including Tarnab, Shankyari, Lower Dir and Pir Sabak, he said that a large number of farmers belonging to these areas would attend the training secessions.
Pakistan fully understands the importance of olive production and is eager to cultivate olive because existing crops are not productive in those barren lands, where olive can easily be grown owing to its drought-tolerant nature and limited water requirements.
Olive cultivation was started as a pilot project in Potohar region in 2014. It has been successfully established that good quality olives can be grown in Pakistan, in particular in the regions of Potohar Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan where the climate and topography is suitable for growing olives.
Thousands of trees were imported into the country, together with experts who helped to identify the most promising areas for olive cultivation. Multiple nurseries are established in different parts of the country. Olive Pakistan project has been launched to promote olive cultivation across the country especially in identified regions for olive plantation. It was, therefore, important to secure governmental assistance.
Originally published at Pakistan Obserever