Quetta: The Chief Executive Officer of the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Company (PHDEC) on Friday visited the Centre of Excellence for Olive Research and Training (CEFORT) to strengthen cooperation for the development of Pakistan’s olive sector.
Olive cultivation has emerged as a promising means of reducing the country’s substantial edible-oil import bill. Over the past 15 years, more than seven million olive trees have been planted on over 50,000 acres across 131 districts.
In the Potohar region alone, more than 2.2 million olive trees have been planted on 16,000 acres. Pakistani olive oils have won gold and silver awards at competitions in New York, London, Berlin and Dubai.
These achievements have encouraged further cultivation and demonstrate Pakistan’s potential to substitute olive-oil imports and eventually become a net exporter.
Dr Ramzan Anser, Director CEFORT, informed the delegation that more than 100 start-ups are currently developing and marketing olive products in Pakistan.
He said that more than 26 olive varieties had been tested across Pakistan’s diverse agroecological zones, with 10 leading varieties identified through multilocational adaptability trials.
CEFORT’s other activities include training interns, developing skilled human resources for the olive industry, creating value-added products and establishing 14 certified olive plant nurseries.
He said that the centre has also connected 13,500 growers through Facebook and 1,000 through WhatsApp to support the continuous exchange of knowledge on production and marketing.
Dr Anser accompanied the PHDEC team on visits to the quality-control laboratory, plant pathology laboratory, product-development facility and germplasm area at BARI Chakwal.
The delegation also visited a private-sector processing facility to review the quality of fruit being processed and a model olive farm near Kallar Kahar. At the model farm, well-managed tree canopies were producing up to 50 kilograms of fruit per tree.
CEO PHDEC Muhammad Naseer appreciated CEFORT’s practical contribution to the promotion of olive-oil production in Pakistan.
He commended its introduction of certified olive varieties, laboratory services for quality assurance and disease management, oil-extraction facilities and development of value-added products.
PHDEC and CEFORT agreed to conduct joint training programmes for growers, processors and exporters on producing high-quality olive oil in accordance with international standards. Under a proposed handholding programme, selected entrepreneurs will receive exposure to international markets and support to participate in leading relevant exhibitions.
PHDEC and CEFORT also agreed to work together to address constraints faced by olive entrepreneurs, including quality control, complex product-approval procedures, identification of the appropriate forums for product registration, and challenges in promoting branded olive products.
Naseer invited CEFORT to participate in FoodAg Expo 2026 as a panellist and technical expert at a seminar on olives.
He reaffirmed PHDEC’s commitment to working closely with CEFORT to promote olive production and strengthen Pakistan’s emerging olive industry.