BARI provides 1.2 mln olive saplings to farmers to increase olive production.

RAWALPINDI -- Barani Agriculture Research Instituate (BARI) has provided over 1.2 million olive saplings to the farmers in the region while first Center of Excellence for Olive Research and Training (CEFORT) was established at BARI and the new research and innovation facility was increasing olive production and employment opportunities in the region.

According to Director, BARI, Muhammad Rafique Doggar, CEFORT was supporting scientific and technical research and serving as a resource center in the region.

He informed that due to hectic efforts of the institute, over 800 farms had been established in Potohar region.

BARI is making all out efforts to enhance olive cultivation considerably in Potohar region which was declared an 'Olive Valley'.

The olive saplings were provided free of cost to the eligible farmers of the region including Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum, Attock and Khurshab districts.

The programme was launched for promoting local production of olive and curtailing import bill of edible oil sector, he said adding that the growers are offered subsidy in accordance with the set rules and procedure and they are bound to fully comply with the recommendations of the Provincial Agriculture Department.

He said for the purpose the Punjab Agriculture Department had imported high quality saplings from best recognized countries for the production of olive.

The eligibility criteria for the grant of free olive saplings extend to those farmers belonging to the region, who possess sufficient irrigation resources for the maintenance of an olive orchard or who aspire to avail the 70 per cent subsidy available, to manage irrigation resources.

If the grower opts to establish a drip irrigation system, then the applicant shall be eligible to avail a 60 per cent subsidy. The area of Potohar region has suitable climatic conditions for olive cultivation as presence of wild olives at large area was already in the region. That's why the government decided to turn Potohar into olive valley, he added.

He said an olive tree starts production after three to four years of its plantation while its productive age lasts for a long period. If we only utilize one third of our available area for olive...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT