Farmers to get free olive saplings

Rawalpindi: Under the five-year (2015-2020) plan, the Punjab government would provide 2 million olive saplings free of cost to the farmers of Potohar region.

Under the first phase, the plantation campaign would formally be launched on February 15. 

Talking to this news agency, Barani Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) Director Dr. Muhammad Tariq said that applications were invited in December 2015 for provision of olive saplings from the eligible farmers of Potohar region, which includes Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jehlum, Attock and Khushab districts.

The programme is being launched on the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif which is aimed at promoting local production of olive oil and curtailing import bill of edible oil.

The applicants would be required to pay the expenditure incurred on transportation and pit digging for planting saplings in the orchard.

The growers would be offered subsidy in accordance with the set rules and procedure and they would fully comply with the recommendations of the Punjab Agriculture Department.

The BARI director informed that the scrutiny and selection of applications was carried out till December 31, 2015, and provision of saplings to the selected growers would start from February 15 till end of March.

He said during this phase around 0.27 million saplings would be distributed among the eligible applicants.

He said for the purpose the Punjab Agriculture Depatrment has imported high-quality saplings from world recognised countries for the production of olives.