Boost In Olive Production In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Aims To Reduce Imports And Benefit Farmers

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) Recent research efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have led to a significant increase in olive production, with experts hopeful that this growth will help reduce the reliance on imported olive oil. By expanding local production, the provincial government aims to ease the burden on the national treasury while improving the economic conditions of local farmers.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's largest agricultural research institution, Tarnab Farm, has been hosting workshops to train farmers in extracting oil and making pickles from olives, enabling them to derive economic benefits from their crops.

According to Research Officer Abdul Rehman at Tarnab Farm, the provincial government has established olive-crushing mills at 11 locations across the province. These mills make it easy for farmers to extract oil from their olives.

“The government covers 90% of the crushing cost, while farmers only pay 10%. The goal is to encourage farmers to invest in olive production,” said Rehman.

Last year, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produced 200,000 kilograms of olives, resulting in the extraction of 20,000 liters of oil. However, Rehman emphasized the importance of delivering the olives to the mills within three days to maximize oil yield.

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Researchers suggest that the longer olives stay on the tree, the higher the oil content. They also advise farmers to use fruit baskets instead of plastic bags for transporting olives to preserve quality.

For farmers unable to wait for their olives to fully ripen, Tarnab Farm offers workshops on how to make pickles or preserves from unripe olives. Research Officer Falak Naz at Tarnab Farm mentioned that these workshops provide farmers with the skills to turn large, unripe olives into pickles, teaching them how to remove bitterness and properly preserve the olives.

“We encourage farmers to bring their olives and learn how to benefit financially,” said Naz.

Muhammad Irfan, a trained farmer from North Waziristan, shared his experience, noting that his region has vast olive orchards. While he initially only knew how to extract oil, he learned how to make pickles and preserves through the workshops.

"I've realized the true value of olives here; it's a profitable business. Though olive oil is expensive, introducing pickles as an alternative meets consumer expectations,” said Irfan. He added that he plans to expand his business and teach other farmers the skills he acquired, including making mixed vegetable pickles and oil-based pickles.

Tarnab Farm officials explained that the provincial government provides farmers with olive saplings at a 70% subsidized rate to encourage the establishment of olive forests, which will further boost oil production.

The director of Tarnab Farm, Ziaullah, explained that while olive oil cannot completely replace other cooking oils due to its higher price, efforts are underway to reduce imports and rely more on local production.

"Olive oil costs between PKR 2,500 to 3,500 per liter, which is too expensive for daily cooking. However, our goal is to reduce the burden on the national treasury by increasing our production,” said Ziaullah.

Tarnab Farm's data reveals that olive production in the province reaches up to 3,000 tons annually, yielding 20,000 liters of oil. At PKR 3,500 per liter, farmers benefit significantly from this lucrative industry.

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