Olive Farming In Chakwal, Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal created two varieties of olives called BARI Zaitoon 1.&2. These varieties were created using exotic germplasm from Italy. Both varieties were able to adapt well to the Pothowar area and the surrounding plains of Punjab. The tree’s medium plant vigor is characterized by a spreading growth pattern and abundant branching. This variety is a medium-to-late maturing variety that begins fruiting four years after planting. The fruit mature between September and October, with flowering beginning in March. The fruit is medium in size and has an elongate shape. It has been reported that the average fruit weight is 2.8g. The stalk cavity has a medium width and is elliptic in form. The fruit’s color changes begin at the apex, and reach full maturity in dark violet. With an average yield of 23 kg per plant, the oil content is 19.34%.
- The fruit bearing potential of olive varieties has been demonstrated in Lahore and Kasur, Kasur, Sahiwal.
- There is no need to give extra attention than other fruit orchards.
- It has a life expectancy of 200-250 years, which is the longest among all fruit trees.
- These varieties lower the cost of edible oil imports
- Olive is a labor-intensive venture. Therefore, more jobs will improve socio-economic conditions.
- Higher economic returns than other fields crops.
Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal
Sr. No. | Varieties Name | Year of Publication | Sowing Time | Potential Yield | Recommendations | Salient Features |
1 | BARI Zaitoon-1 | 2011 | Autumn (September) and Spring (March). | 27 KG/Plant (90.45 mounds/acre) | Pothwar Region |
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2 | BARI Zaitoon-2 | 2011 | Autumn (September) and Spring (March). | 27 KG/Plant (90.45 mounds/acre) | Pothwar Region |
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Tajamal Hussain was a Chakwal resident who had been involved in agriculture since his childhood.
At 52 years old, the farmer didn’t see an improvement in his economic situation until he made the difficult decision to switch to olive farming five years ago – an unorthodox practice at the time.
“I planted olive saplings in one acre. I was able to sell 60kg of olive oil from my one-acre plot and earn Rs150,000 this year. As there is sufficient space between the olive trees, I also grow vegetables, melons, and watermelons in my small olive orchards. “I can make Rs600,000 per acre in one year,” Tajamal is excited. He also said that olive is the best crop.
As Tajamal has mentioned, many other farmers in Potohar have made the switch to olive farming. The Punjab government is attempting to make Potohar an olive valley. It fully supports the growers.
Spain is the world’s largest olive oil producer with 1,199,200 tonnes of olive oil produced annually on an area of 2.4 million hectares. Pakistan spends Rs245 billions annually on edible oil imports. It has 3.17m hectares for olive farming.
In 2012, Pakistani authorities took action when the Punjab government decided that the Potohar region would be turned into an olive-growing valley because of its high potential.
This massive campaign has generated many success stories and was centred on the Barani Agriculture Research Institute (Bari), Chakwal.
“Every year, 300,000 olive saplings are distributed by the provincial government to the farmers in the region at no cost. According to Dr Mohammad Tariq (director general of Bari), olives have been planted so far on 5,500 acres. Around 1,000 farmers have also planted olives. Bari has a state of the art olive mill that was supported by Italy. This allows farmers to extract their oil at no cost. Bari has produced 12 tons olive oil during the current season. Officials expect 20 tons to be extracted this year.
“Olive farming will not only make a difference in the lives and livelihoods of farmers, but it will also decrease the country’s large budget that is used to import olive oil each year. Dr Tariq said that olive farming could also be a tool to fight climate change in Pakistan, as it is environmentally friendly.
He stated that planting olive trees is the best natural solution to reduce climate change risks.
To improve the quality of olive farming in Punjab, the government of Punjab has established an Olive Development Board.
“Olive is the most nutritious crop in every way. It requires less water, and it is also easier to cultivate. It will be the main cash crop in the Potohar area in the near future,”
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