Pakistan’s olive oil industry is gaining momentum

The government of Pakistan’s Punjab province has confirmed plans to plant 50 million olive trees on 4 million hectares by 2026. The initiative is part of a wider strategy to reduce Pakistan’s dependence on imported edible oils, increase agricultural profitability and shift some agricultural production to more drought-tolerant crops.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pakistan consumed 4.41 million tons of edible oils in the 2023/24 crop year, of which 3.19 million tons were imported. Olive cultivation is increasingly seen as a strategic crop that can reduce the country’s trade deficit, which stood at $5.4 billion in October 2024, and create a new source of revenue through exports.

According to Olive Oil Times, Pakistan currently has 80 million wild olive trees and 5.6 million cultivated ones, with 500,000 to 800,000 seedlings planted annually. The country’s olive oil production is projected to reach 160 to 180 tons in the 2024/25 season, a 20% increase over last year. In 2022, when Pakistan joined the International Olive Council (IOC), it successfully exported $1.9 million worth of olive oil, since then the amount has only increased.

The Pakistani government intends to provide full support to farmers interested in olive cultivation, including the provision of seedlings, technical assistance and training programs. Financial incentives and subsidies will be available to encourage farmers to switch to olive cultivation, authorities promise.

Earlier, Malaysia said it plans to position Pakistan as a distribution center for palm oil exports to Central Asia, taking advantage of the country’s strategic location and proximity to emerging high-growth markets,

Tags: Pakistan, olive oil