QUETTA: Balochistan has emerged as the leading region in Pakistan’s commercial olive cultivation, with more than 3.19 million olive plants grown across 24,620 acres in 31 districts, according to available official documents.
Overall, 7.63 million olive plants have been planted across 60,456 acres in 131 districts of Pakistan as part of efforts to promote commercial olive farming.
Olive orchards have expanded across Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sindh, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Balochistan accounts for the largest share, with 3,199,393 plants cultivated across 24,620 acres. Punjab ranks second, with 2,235,962 plants spread over 17,000 acres in 31 districts.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,656,499 olive plants have been planted across 14,690 acres in 32 districts.
The figures show that 205,929 plants have been planted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 129,384 in Sindh, 117,958 in Islamabad and 92,296 in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Development programmes drive olive cultivation
From 2012 to 2026, government development programmes accounted for the largest share of olive plantation in the country.
Under government development programmes, 5,029,010 plants were planted across 37,854 acres.
Other initiatives included 580,158 plants under PEDSA, 1,320,116 under the Olive Valley project, 590,000 under the 5 Million Olive Programme, 80,637 under the Olive Expansion Project, while the private sector planted around 37,500 trees.
Pakistan has vast olive cultivation potential
According to the documents, around 4 million hectares of land in Pakistan is considered suitable for olive cultivation. Millions of wild olive trees are also found in different parts of the country.
To support the sector, 51 olive oil extraction units have been established nationwide. Balochistan has the highest number with 23 units, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 16 and Punjab with nine.
Islamabad has two extraction units, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir has one.
The country has also established three value-addition laboratories, six fruit processing units, five meteorological centres and five nursery tunnels to support olive cultivation.
Four national reference laboratories have also been established in Islamabad, Chakwal, Tarnab and Quetta.
