100 Pakistani Graduates to Train in Italy for Olive Farming
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a new initiative to send 100 young agriculture graduates to Italy for specialised training in olive production.
The programme was announced during the launch of the National Olive Value Chain Policy in Islamabad. The government will fully fund the training, giving selected graduates an opportunity to learn from Italy’s expertise.
Participants will receive training in modern olive cultivation, processing, marketing and value chain management.
Pakistan currently spends around $4 billion every year on edible oil imports, creating a significant burden on the country’s import bill.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said even reducing this spending by $400 million through increased domestic production would represent a major achievement.
The government is looking towards olive cultivation as part of a broader strategy to strengthen local agricultural production.
Pakistan’s olive cultivation has expanded significantly over the past decade. The number of olive trees has increased from around 500,000 in 2016 to more than seven million today.
Olive plantations now cover approximately 60,000 acres across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh, showing the crop’s growing presence across different regions.
The National Olive Value Chain Policy aims to build on this progress by improving production, processing, quality control, branding and exports.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Italy for its longstanding partnership with Pakistan in agriculture and industry, highlighting more than 70 years of cooperation between the two countries.
The new training programme is expected to give young Pakistani graduates practical exposure to advanced techniques used in olive production and value chain development.
Alongside olives, Shehbaz also called for greater cultivation of palm and sunflower crops to help reduce Pakistan’s edible oil import bill.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a new initiative to send 100 young agriculture graduates to Italy for specialised training in olive production.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a new initiative to send 100 young agriculture graduates to Italy for specialised training in olive production.
The programme was announced during the launch of the National Olive Value Chain Policy in Islamabad. The government will fully fund the training, giving selected graduates an opportunity to learn from Italy’s expertise.
Participants will receive training in modern olive cultivation, processing, marketing and value chain management.
Pakistan currently spends around $4 billion every year on edible oil imports, creating a significant burden on the country’s import bill.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said even reducing this spending by $400 million through increased domestic production would represent a major achievement.
The government is looking towards olive cultivation as part of a broader strategy to strengthen local agricultural production.
Pakistan’s olive cultivation has expanded significantly over the past decade. The number of olive trees has increased from around 500,000 in 2016 to more than seven million today.
Olive plantations now cover approximately 60,000 acres across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh, showing the crop’s growing presence across different regions.
The National Olive Value Chain Policy aims to build on this progress by improving production, processing, quality control, branding and exports.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Italy for its longstanding partnership with Pakistan in agriculture and industry, highlighting more than 70 years of cooperation between the two countries.
The new training programme is expected to give young Pakistani graduates practical exposure to advanced techniques used in olive production and value chain development.
Alongside olives, Shehbaz also called for greater cultivation of palm and sunflower crops to help reduce Pakistan’s edible oil import bill.
