Large Scale Olive Cultivation to Prove a Best Investment for Pakistan: Imran Khan
By Our Web Desk
NOWSHERA– Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that large scale olive cultivation would prove a best investment for Pakistan in terms of earning valuable foreign exchange and ensuring food security.
Addressing at the launch of countrywide olive cultivation drive, Prime Minister said the country had immense potential in cultivation of olive trees owing to suitable topography and climate from north to south.
He mentioned that water scarce areas such as Suleiman Mountains near Waziristan, Balochistan’s plains and Punjab’s diverse terrain offered environment for low-irrigation olive farming. Prime Minister Imran Khan terming food security a big challenge for the country said the olive fruit produced edible oil of high nutritional value, which could also be used to meet local demands besides its export.
He said Pakistan had more potential than Spain, the leading olive producer in the world, and could explore the possibilities with effective strategy of olive cultivation. He said the country was blessed with 12 climatic zones and diverse landscape and stressed the need to promote planting a variety of crops and fruit.
Imran Khan said olive was also mentioned in the Holy Quran for several times that enhanced the relevance and significance of the ‘wonder fruit’. He said olive cultivation project would generate employment opportunities for the locals, both short and long-term, due to long life of the plant.
The Prime Minister said olive cultivation was being carried out under Ten Billion Tsunami Tree project, adding that plantation of other local fruits would be also be included in the programme. He said that Pakistan was among the 10 most vulnerable countries on the verge of receiving high effects of climate change. He said to save future generations from climate change, plantation was the key step and also to reduce rising pollution levels in big cities of the country.
He mentioned the already launched Miyawaki Japanese technique at several sites in Lahore and Islamabad with an objective to get dense greenery at faster than usual pace. He asked the head of Forest Department to use the similar plantation method in Peshawar as the city touched alarming levels of pollution.
The Prime Minister lauded the efforts of Governor Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Shah Farman for materializing the Ten Billion Tree Project across the province. Earlier, Imran Khan planted a sapling of olive at model plantation site of Amangarh in Nowshera, where a cultivation of around 7,200 olive plants will be carried out.
