Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain represented Pakistan at the 122nd session of the International Olive Council (IOC) held in Córdoba, where he reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the global olive community, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Wednesday.
Speaking at the session, the minister said the government was actively working to reinforce the olive value chain, noting that olive cultivation had now expanded to 50,000 acres nationwide.
He said the sector was emerging as a significant contributor to reducing Pakistan’s edible oil import bill.
Hussain highlighted that olive cultivation was being promoted to support and stabilise the rural economy. He shared that Pakistan had set up 51 oil extraction units and four quality testing laboratories to facilitate the sector’s growth.
According to the minister, thousands of women and youth have been trained across the olive value chain, with more than 90 start-ups now successfully operating in olive-based businesses.
He also pointed out that the Pakistani brand “LO – Loralai Olive” recently won a Silver Award at a competition in New York, reflecting the country’s improving global footprint.
He noted that Pakistan’s Olive Value Chain Policy 2030 provides a comprehensive roadmap for sectoral development and confirmed that Pakistan has made progress toward becoming a full member of the IOC.
Rana Tanveer Hussain said that global cooperation, technology transfer and capacity building remain top priorities. He added that Pakistan will continue contributing to a sustainable and reliable global olive economy.