Olive oil massively produced in Pakistan: Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo

Islamabad: Italian Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo Wednesday said olive oil was massively produced in Pakistan.

“From olives cold pressed in Pakistan coming from trees grown in Pakistan, bottled in Pakistan and labelled in Pakistan. All Pakistani my friend, believe me. The machinery and initial Know how is,” he said.

The envoy said Pakistan had a huge potential in all sectors and can compete the world.

Olive farming in Pakistan has received a strong boost with the arrival of 100,000 olive plants from Spain and Turkey.

The move is part of a project to promote cultivation of olive on commercial basis in the country.

A total of 550,000 plants will be imported under the project which is being implemented by the National Agricultural Centre.

Since olive is a drought-tolerant plant, it has been decided to introduce olive farming in Waziristan, Fata agencies and various districts of Balochistan which have been affected by the drought spell over the past few years.