The domestic olive oil output is projected to be 30% lower this season than it was the previous season due to the negative effects of climate change, National Project Director, Olive Cultivation, National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) Dr Ahmad Tariq told reporters.

He mainly attributed the fall in olive crop output to the worsening weather pattern, which resulted in devastating floods and torrential rains, besides the change in season cycle that shrank the spring season creating heat waves and droughts during the crop-producing period.

These effects matured the crop earlier and it started falling from the trees, he said, adding that it forced early harvesting with high content of moisture resulting in reduced extraction of extra virgin olive oil.

He informed reporters that last year over 110 tons of international standard extra virgin olive oil was extracted. Besides about 100 tons of other olive value-added products were produced that ensured a proper rate of returns to growers across the country.

Meanwhile, he said efforts were afoot to enhance the area under olive cultivation as the government intended to bring over 9,000 hectares under olive cultivation. Some 1.2 million olive plants would be planted during the current financial year, he added.

Dr Ahmed said that the government had decided to increase the area under olive cultivation to 70,000 hectares from about 39,000 hectares, besides grafting on wild olive trees. It would strengthen the efforts to produce an exportable surplus within the stipulated time frame, he added.

He informed that during the current season about 500,000 wild olive trees would be grafted, and basic training would be given to farmers to enhance the area under oil seeds production. This initiative would help increase the farm income of rural farming communities too, he added.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk