In a bid to boost the olive sector and encourage consumers to choose certified-quality locally produced olive oil, Pakistan has unveiled its brand, ‘PakOlive.’ The announcement was made during the Pak Olive National Gala held in Islamabad on Saturday, a gathering that provided a platform to explore the development of the olive sector in Pakistan.
The event, organized by the ‘Promotion of Olive Cultivation on a Commercial Scale in Pakistan Phase II’ and the Italian-funded ‘Olive Culture: A Holistic and Multi-Professional Mechanism for a Pakistani Olive Oil Value Chain’ project, coincided with World Olive Tree Day. Attendees included olive sector developers, consumers, businesses, entrepreneurs, service providers, support institutions, investors, farmers, youth, rural women, and the foreign community.
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Kausar Abdullah Malik, reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to promoting olive production. He emphasized that the initiative not only enhances olive production but also provides income opportunities, especially for women and youth. Minister Malik stressed the importance of a supportive policy for the rural development of the olive sector.
Marco Marchetti, the international project coordinator of the OliveCulture Project, shed light on Italian involvement in enhancing the olive value chain in Pakistan. He stated that the mission is to consolidate results achieved by Pakistani and Italian initiatives, creating a holistic mechanism tailored to each province’s requirements, covering all steps from farm to fork.
National Project Director Muhammad Tariq shared a multi-professional approach for a Pakistani olive value chain. He highlighted the current situation of olives in Pakistan, underscoring the untapped potential of olive cultivation. Tariq mentioned that Pakistan is poised to become a member of the International Olive Council.
Director of the Italian Trade Agency, Salvatore Parano, expressed optimism about the increasing olive cultivation and oil production in Pakistan, attributing it to the joint efforts of the Pakistani government and Italy. Parano noted, “With the results of these efforts coming up, there is hope that Pakistan will soon be exporting olive oil to the world, including Italy.”
