Pakistan is preparing to send 100 young agricultural graduates to Italy for specialised training in olive production and related areas, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced during the launch of the Pakistan National Olive Value Chain Policy.
This training will emphasize hands-on aspects of the olive industry such as cultivation, processing, marketing and value chain building. The project is supposed to provide the young graduates exposure to the latest techniques that can be implemented in Pakistan.
Italian Training to Cover Key Olive Industry Skills
The selected graduates will receive training in several areas linked to olive production.
These include:
- Olive cultivation
- Processing and value addition
- Marketing
- Value chain management
The programme is expected to strengthen the skills of young agricultural professionals and help Pakistan develop greater expertise in the olive sector.
Pakistan Plans to Expand Olive Cultivation
The prime minister has revealed that currently olive plantation is about 60,000 acres in Pakistan.
He pointed out that the farmers’ situation has to be supported and agricultural productivity needs to be improved to increase agricultural produce production at the local level.
Better coordination among farmers, research institutions, exporters and government is expected to be critical to the further development of the sector, the announcement states.
Government Looks to Cut Edible Oil Imports
Pakistan currently imports a large amount of edible oil, creating a significant pressure on the country’s import bill.
Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan spends around $4 billion each year on edible oil imports and argued that increasing domestic production could help reduce that burden.
He also called for greater attention to crops such as palm oil and sunflower alongside olives as part of efforts to increase local edible oil production.
Pakistan and Italy to Expand Agricultural Cooperation
The prime minister highlighted the existing relationship between Pakistan and Italy in areas including agriculture and tractor manufacturing.
He said cooperation between the two countries would be expanded further in olive production, modern processing and value addition.
Sending agricultural graduates to Italy is part of this broader cooperation and could give young professionals direct exposure to international practices in the olive industry.
More Support Planned for Farmers
The federal and provincial governments are expected to work together to improve facilities available to farmers.
The government has also acknowledged the role played by provincial authorities in supporting olive growers and promoting cultivation in different parts of the country.
What Students and Graduates Should Know
The government plans to send 100 young agricultural graduates to Italy for advanced olive-sector training.
The available announcement does not yet provide details about the selection process, application deadline, eligibility criteria or exact training dates. Graduates interested in the programme should therefore wait for the relevant government department to release the official procedure.