Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Nowshera district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) today for green recovery program where he will launch an olive plantation campaign under Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Program.

Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) will be also accompanying the Prime Minister on his visit. The Prime Minister will be briefed on olive cultivation, political and administrative issues, during the visit.

The olive plantation is a part of Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Program which has the top priorities of federal government for prosperity and help save foreign exchange.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Department of Agriculture Research has planned in collaboration with the federal government to peruse plan to increase olive production in the province and its tribal districts.

According to the Agriculture officials “KP has between 600,000 hectares and 700,000 hectares of land suitable for olive cultivation and can save $3.6 billion which Pakistan spends on the import of olive oil every year”.

“If the area is brought under cultivation, Pakistan will be in a position to export olive oil”, officials added. Moreover, they said, “there are 7,000 olive trees, which are producing an average 25 kg of olives per tree and can produce three to four thousand litres of oil annually. Currently, most of KP districts have suitable land for olive cultivation”.