Olive Gala was held here on Saturday by the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) Tarnab, Peshawar, demonstrating the potential of the olive sector in Pakistan.
Under the auspices of the Italian-funded projects “Promotion of Olive Cultivation on Commercial Scale in Pakistan (PSDP)” and “Olive Culture-Holistic and Multi-Professional Mechanism for a Pakistani Olive Oil Value Chain,” the event was organized.
The event’s main guest was Ghulam Ali, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The distinguished chief guest expressed his satisfaction with the advancements being made in olive cultivation in the nation and emphasized the necessity of educating common farmers about new varieties and production technology in order to ensure that the nation becomes self-sufficient in the production of edible oil.
He also mentioned the outstanding job being done by Italian experts from CIHEAM Bari in the advancement of the olive crop.
Abdul Haleem Qasuria, the agricultural minister for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, praised the Agricultural Research Institute’s efforts to promote olive oil in Pakistan. He claimed that the millions of rupees Pakistan spends on importing edible oil to support the production of its own olive oil.
At the Olive Gala, participants from a range of sectors, including institutions, companies, farmers, young people, women, consumers, and entrepreneurs, had the opportunity to examine and enhance the financial, productive, and qualitative components of the Pakistani olive oil value chain.
The Director General of the Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab, welcomed the attendees of the olive gala and emphasized the significance of the olive oil sector in Pakistan in his speech.
He continued by saying that with the assistance and support of the Italian Agency for their support, the Agricultural Research Institute in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is doing a fantastic job promoting olive cultivation and production. Also, he stated that farmers are responding favorably to us, and olive development is progressing.
The Olive Gala also included a representative from CIHEAM Bari who underlined the significance of advancing the olive value chain and encouraging communication amongst all participants in addition to the addition of olive value.
—APP