Olive Revolution: Pakistan Joins International Olive Council

[RiazHaq]

Olive Revolution: Pakistan Joins International Olive Council

Pakistan's Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project launched by the PTI government has sparked a silent olive revolution in the country. Pakistan, ...

www.southasiainvestor.com

Pakistan's Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project launched by the PTI government has sparked a silent olive revolution in the country. Pakistan, now the 19th member of the International Olive Council, is producing about 1,500 tons of olive oil per year and 830 tons of table olives, according to Juan Vilar Strategic Consultants. It is also helping tackle some of the effects of climate change such as soil erosion and desertification and bringing new opportunities to farmers.

Olive Valley Pakistan

The International Olive Council (IOC) has 18 members, mostly European and Middle Eastern nations located in the Mediterranean region. Pakistan has joined as its 19th member. The IOC members account for more than 98% of global olive production. The IOC has been headquartered in the Spanish capital Madrid since it was founded in 1959. The organization specifies acceptable quality control testing methods and assures consumer transparency information, for example: hygiene standards along the supply chain, suitable packing materials and filling tolerances product labelling standards, identification of any food additives or allowable contaminants, recommendations for environmental protection in the use and disposal of olive products.

Welcoming Pakistan into the organization, Mr. Abdellatif Ghedira, the IOC’s executive director, told Olive Oil Times: “In Pakistan, olive oil culture is making inroads, and so are the opportunities related to that .....The council is a decisive player in contributing to the sustainable and responsible development of olive growing, and it serves as a world forum for discussing policymaking issues and tackling present and future challenges".

Olive trees thrive in dry arid regions with rocky soils that are more challenging for traditional crops. Pakistan government officials believe that olive farming is an efficient answer both to reforestation needs and economic development. “A special focus in this phase will be given to underprivileged areas of the country, such as Southern Balochistan, Southern Punjab, the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and some parts of Sindh province,” Muhammad Tariq, national project director at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, told Olive Oil Times.

It is expected that traditional farming and modern techniques would make large tracts of barren land productive, creating new jobs and growing the economy. Drip irrigation systems are being deployed over 16,000 hectares and 3.6 million olive trees. The Pakistani public and private sectors currently maintain 26 olive oil extraction plants of different capacities, from 80 kilograms per hour to 600, according to Olive Times.

Pakistan has the potential to be a world leader in olive production. In the last few years, PTI's Ten Billion Tree Tsunami initiative has spurred rapid olive cultivation in Pakistan with the import of 100,000 olive seedlings from top olive producing countries like Spain, Italy and Turkey. Pakistan’s climate is conducive for olive production, as the olive trees grow fast in regions with moderate winters following long hot summers.

Related Links:


Haq's Musings

South Asia Investor Review

Chicken Cheaper Than Daal

Meat Industry in Pakistan

Bumper Crops and Soaring Tractor Sales in Pakistan

Meat and Dairy Revolution in Pakistan

Pakistanis Are Among the Most Carnivorous

Eid ul Azha: Multi-Billion Dollar Urban-to-Rural Transfer

Pakistan Among World's Largest Food Producing Countries

Drip Irrigation: Can Pakistan Make its Deserts Bloom?

Pakistan's Agenda at COP26 Climate Conference


Riaz Haq's Youtube Channel

PakAlumni Social Network

Olive Revolution: Pakistan Joins International Olive Council

Pakistan's Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project launched by the PTI government has sparked a silent olive revolution in the country. Pakistan, ...

www.southasiainvestor.com

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Im also thinking about cultivating olives.

 

[nope]

one of few silver linings I can see in Pakistan

 

[K_Bin_W]

Olive is best for health, I have switched my cooking to olive oil

 

[khail007]

Olive is best for health, I have switched my cooking to olive oil

Dear, for cooking only use the 'Pomace' grade olive oil.
Extra Virgin is not to be heated to retain the healthy benefits of it. Use it to sprinkle on your prepared foods, dips, and salad dressing for maximum benefits and nutritional value.

 

[Sinnerman108]

Dear, for cooking only use the 'Pomace' grade olive oil.
Extra Virgin is not to be heated to retain the healthy benefits of it. Use it to sprinkle on your prepared foods, dips, and salad dressing for maximum benefits and nutritional value.

Absolutely correct.
Once the oil is heated up, it's not the same thing,
This oil is a juice more than oil.
Always consume it raw as it is.

 

[Patriot forever]

Thank you PTI for this wonderful initiative.

 

[K_Bin_W]

Dear, for cooking only use the 'Pomace' grade olive oil.
Extra Virgin is not to be heated to retain the healthy benefits of it. Use it to sprinkle on your prepared foods, dips, and salad dressing for maximum benefits and nutritional value.

I have done quite a bit of digging on the smoke point of olive oil and there are many viewpoints.

 

[Wood]

Harvesting olive trees is extremely laborious and should be accomplished within a limited time window. European producers use high tech machinery and imported labor to dominate the market. The productivity and quality (in taste) of yield in European farms are high.

India's Rajasthan State government has started to push for olive cultivation for about 15 years now. They have limited success only. Branding and marketing the produce is also a big challenge for new players

 

[Muhammad Saftain Anjum]

Harvesting olive trees is extremely laborious and should be accomplished within a limited time window. European producers use high tech machinery and imported labor to dominate the market. The productivity and quality (in taste) of yield in European farms are high.

India's Rajasthan State government has started to push for olive cultivation for about 15 years now. They have limited success only. Branding and marketing the produce is also a big challenge for new players

Rab husan de tu nazakat aa hi jati hai

 

[RiazHaq]

Absolutely correct.
Once the oil is heated up, it's not the same thing,
This oil is a juice more than oil.
Always consume it raw as it is.

Some sources put the smoke point of olive oil somewhere around 374–405°F (190–207°C) (17). This makes it a safe choice for most cooking methods, including most pan frying. Extra virgin olive oil's smoke point is somewhere around 374–405°F (190–207°C). This makes it a good choice for most cooking methods.

Normal cooking use is unlikely to oxidize or significantly damage olive oil.

However, it may degrade some of the antioxidants and vitamin E, which are sensitive to heat.

In one study, heating olive oil at 356°F (180°C) for 36 hours lead to a decrease in antioxidants and vitamin E, but most of the trace compounds were intact (18).

One of the main active compounds in extra virgin olive oil is oleocanthal. This substance is responsible for olive oil’s anti-inflammatory effects (19Trusted Source).

Heating olive oil at 464°F (240°C) for 90 minutes reduced the amount of oleocanthal by 19% according to a chemical test and 31% according to a taste test (20Trusted Source).

In another study, simulated frying for 24 hours reduced some beneficial compounds, but 10 minutes in a microwave or boiling in water had only minor effects (21Trusted Source).

The trace compounds in olive oil are also responsible for some of its flavor. Therefore, overheating olive oil can remove some of its taste.

Keep in mind that these studies use rather extreme conditions.

Is Olive Oil a Good Cooking Oil? A Critical Look

This article takes a detailed look at the cooking properties of olive oil. Many studies show that it is actually fairly resistant to heat.

www.healthline.com