The government has decided to establish a dedicated Olive Oil Council under the forthcoming National Olive Policy to regulate the fast-growing olive industry, strengthen exports and cut reliance on imported edible oils.
\nAccording to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the proposed council will serve as a central body for coordination, certification, branding, and quality control of olive oil and its by-products. It will also oversee the implementation of the National Olive Policy and Action Plan.
\nThe new policy marks a major step toward institutionalizing Pakistan\u2019s olive sector, aligning it with global standards set by the International Olive Council (IOC).
\nIt emphasizes sustainable production, rural livelihood improvement, foreign exchange savings, and value-added exports through a modern governance framework.
\nA senior official of the Ministry of National Food Security & Research told Wealth Pakistan that the policy aims to transform Pakistan from a nascent olive grower into a competitive global player within five to seven years. The country\u2019s domestic olive oil production has already reduced imports by nearly half, while export volumes continue to rise amid growing recognition of Pakistani brands abroad.
\nReflecting this progress, Pakistan\u2019s indigenous olive oil brand \u201cLO\u201d recently won a silver award at the New York International Olive Oil Competition, competing with more than 1,200 global entries from 28 countries.
\nUnder the government\u2019s Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), Pakistan\u2019s olive cultivation has expanded rapidly.
\nBetween 2014 and 2025, around 33,000 acres of marginal and barren land have been converted into olive orchards, with over 4.3 million trees planted across 60 districts.
\nThe total olive ecosystem now spans more than 55,000 acres with 6.9 million trees, engaging over 11,000 farmers.
\nTo improve processing capacity, 51 olive oil extraction units are operational across Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The government has also set up six fruit-processing units, 14 nursery tunnels, five automated weather stations, and four International Olive Council\u2013standard laboratories to ensure compliance with global quality benchmarks.
\nThe initiative is being supported by international partners, including the Government of Italy, through CIHEAM Bari and AICS, which provided \u20ac1.5 million for the first phase of the Olive Culture Scale-up Project and an additional \u20ac3 million for the ongoing Phase II (2024\u201327). A \u20ac20 million TVET Umbrella Project is also underway to train local technicians and farmers in modern olive cultivation and processing methods.
\nThe official said that the upcoming Olive Oil Council will coordinate these efforts and develop branding, marketing, and export strategies to position Pakistan as a credible player in the global olive oil market. \u201cThe council will serve as the backbone of Pakistan\u2019s olive economy,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will unify public and private stakeholders, support farmers, and open new avenues for export-led growth.\u201d
\nAccording to the documents, the council will also promote olive tourism, national expos, and nutraceutical product development to diversify income streams for rural communities. The policy envisions olive cultivation not just as an agricultural crop but as a climate-resilient economic sector capable of contributing to national prosperity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The government has decided to establish a dedicated Olive Oil Council under the forthcoming National Olive Policy to regulate the fast-growing olive industry, strengthen exports and cut reliance on imported edible oils. According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the proposed council will serve as a central body for coordination, certification, branding, and quality […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512933,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-512923","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n