Plan For Making Potohar Olive Valley

The Punjab Agriculture department has chalked out a five year plan for making Potohar Region Olive Valley

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Nov, 2017 ) :The Punjab Agriculture department has chalked out a five year plan for making Potohar Region Olive Valley. Under the plan, the government would provide 20 lakh plants free of cost to the selected farmers in Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum, Attock, and Khushab districts.

The sources in agriculture department told APP on Wednesday that under the directives of the Punjab Chief Minister special steps had been taken for the promotion of olive crop in the province. The sources further said that a large number of growers were showing their keen interest in cultivation of olive crop and contacting with the agriculture department for obtaining olive plants and technical assistance for attaining yielding results cultivation of the crop.

In Punjab, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal and Khushab districts were the potential areas for Olive cultivation.

According to the agriculture experts, the prevailing environment, minimum/maximum temperature, soil types, average rainfall and other related growth factors in Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal and Khushab areas were exactly according to the olive cultivation requirements.

The marginal lands could be utilised for olive cultivation without replacing the other crops and it would also help in reducing the import bill of the country, the sources added. Meanwhile, the department was also conducting awareness and training programmes to facilitate the people by creating awareness on olive cultivation techniques and producing value added products.