Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Speakers in an International Olive Conference on Tuesday stressed the need for promoting olive cultivation to enhance income of farming communities living in natural resource stressed areas to eliminate poverty.
The two-day event was organized at University of Engineering and Technology Khuzdar, which was virtually participated by experts from Greece, Italy and Spain, besides local scientists and experts also took part in the event and shared their knowledge and experiences.
Addressing the conference, Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam said that UET Khuzdar was the oldest engineering university of the Province which was providing technical base and research platform to youngsters and contributing its due share in socio economic uplift of country in general and Balochistan in particular.
The minister said that 4,000 olive plants were planted in university premises besides establishing four green tunnels with 160,000 olive saplings capacity under efficient and innovative mist irrigation system.
Efficient irrigation was installed in university under Public Sector Development Program on Olive Project in Pakistan, besides the provision of of olive plants for 10 acres.
The minister said that Balochistan province has vast potential of olive cultivation in terms of natural and other resources, adding that Khuzdar has a feasible demographic and cultural heritage having great potential of ideal olive production with 28% oil contents.
Speaking on the occasion Project Director of Olive Cultivation on Commercial Scale in Pakistan Dr Muhammad Tariq said that olive cultivation in the country has been gaining momentum as local output during the current season was projected to cross 11,000 tons.
