The Punjab govt has planned growing around 50 million olive trees on 10 million acres of land by year 2026. Pakistan has 80 million wild and 5 million planted olive trees currently. This was stated by Olive Growing Project Director Azeem Tariq while talking to APP. He said that olive farming in Pakistan will not only help in meeting the local needs for edible oil but will also have many secondary benefits. In addition to their food and nutritional benefits, olive trees and fruits are also important from the religious perspective, and their waste is useful, he added. In response to a query, Azeem Tariq stated that olive farming in Pakistan would not only fulfill local demand for edible oil but also bring numerous secondary benefits. He stressed the need for increased awareness, training, infrastructure development, access to tools, quality testing, storage, packaging, branding, and marketing facilities to support this growing sector. Highlighting a milestone, Tariq mentioned that in 2022, Pakistan became the 19th member of the International Olive Council (IOC) and exported virgin and extra virgin olive oil worth $1.9 million. Despite challenges, the outlook for olive cultivation in Pakistan is highly promising. “People use olive oil and olive-based products not only for their nutritional and culinary value but also because of their religious significance,” he explained. With an annual expenditure of approximately $4.5 billion on edible oil imports, Pakistan has launched olive production initiatives in collaboration with Italy, Spain, and China. These efforts aim to reduce import costs and achieve self-sufficiency in edible oil production. The potential for olive farming in Pakistan is significant, owing to the presence of over 8 million wild olive trees and suitable land and climate conditions in regions such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Balochistan, and Punjab, particularly the Pothohar region, which includes Chakwal, Attock, and Mianwali. In recent years, millions of wild olive trees have been grafted, and around 5 million new olive plants have been cultivated. Moreover, more than 10 million acres of land suitable for olive farming remain available for further development. Tariq highlighted key initiatives such as the establishment of new olive processing mills, the “50 Million Olive Tree” project, and the “Promotion of Olive Cultivation for Economic Development and Poverty Alleviation” project.