Olive Oil Production Expected to Decline By 30 % This Season

Islamabad: Due to the negative effects of climate change, domestic production of olive oil is anticipated to be 30 percent lower this season than it was previous season as crop harvesting has already begun in the regions that produce olive oil.

“The decline in local olive crop output was primarily attributed to worsening weather patterns, the impact of climate change which caused devastation from floods and torrential rains, and change in the seasonal cycle that reduced the length of spring, and produced heat waves and droughts during the crop-producing season,” said National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) National Project Director of Olive Cultivation Dr Ahmad Tariq.

He claimed that as a result of these factors, the crop matured prematurely and began to fall from the trees, forcing an early harvest with a high moisture content, which was another factor contributing to the reduced extraction of extra virgin olive oil.

The government has set a goal to increase the area under olive cultivation to 70,000 hectares, in addition to grafting on wild olive trees standing over million of hectares, which would strengthen the efforts to produce exportable surplus within the designated time frame.

Moreover, 1.2 million olive trees would be planted during the current financial year. Aiming to increase the area under which oil seeds are produced, about 500,000 wild olive trees will be grafted this season.

Farmers will also receive basic training in this regard. The program would contribute to raising rural agricultural communities’ farm income, Dr Tariq informed.