Large scale olive production in Abbottabad to decrease the import bill: DC Abbottabad.

ABBOTTABAD -- Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Tariq Salam Marwat Sunday said that the implementation of the pilot project for Olives in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and citizens is a great measure to make possible large scale olives and oil production in Abbottabad.

The DC expressed these views during the inspection of the ongoing olive grafting in Union Council Dhamtoor Abbottabad.

He further said that Islam also gives importance to the Olive tree and its oil, in Abbottabad district, the government is implementing word-planting and grafting in Union Council Dhamtoor and Sarbhana under a pilot project where the Department of Agriculture, Abbottabad, in collaboration with the local communities, is conducting training and implementation of olive grafting on wild oak trees.

The Deputy Commissioner also met with the residents of the UC and prayed for the success of the pilot project. District Director Agriculture Mukhtiar Yousafzai, Deputy Director Sajid Khan and other officers and farms were also present on the occasion.

Mukhtiar Yousufzai said that a target of 30,000 olive trees has been set in Abbottabad district out of which up to 20,000 trees have been planted and 13,000 trees have been grafted, under this project.

The main focus will be on sustainable agriculture with the objectives to eliminate poverty in all its forms, eradicate hunger, achieve food security and better...