Pakistan's Olive Cultivation Expands to 60 Districts, Engaging 12,000 Farmers

Pakistan's olive cultivation program has expanded to 60 districts across the country, engaging approximately 12,000 farmers, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), which cited official documents from Wealth Pakistan on Wednesday.

The expansion falls under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) Olive Project, which aims to build a complete farm-to-fork value chain covering cultivation, processing, quality control, and value addition for olive products, APP reported.

More than 7.5 million olive trees have been planted nationwide as part of the initiative, according to the cited official documents. The program forms part of broader government efforts to diversify agricultural output and develop non-traditional crops with export and domestic market potential.

Olive cultivation has been promoted in parts of Pakistan, including regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Balochistan, where climatic conditions have been assessed as suitable for the crop. Authorities have positioned the sector as a potential source of rural income diversification and import substitution, given Pakistan's reliance on imported edible oils.

Further specifics on production volumes, processing infrastructure, or export targets tied to the project were not detailed in the available reporting.