Manend Team 
NOWSHERA, (MANEND NEWS): Prime Minister Imran Khan says
planting olives can bring foreign exchange into Pakistan.
He was speaking after launching the olive plantation campaign in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district on Monday. The olive
plantation is part of the ten billion tree Tsunami programme.
PM Imran Khan was accompanied by Defence Minister Pervez Khan
Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, KP Chief
Minister Mahmood Khan, and Special Assistant on Climate Change
Malik Muhammad Amin Aslam. The premier spoke about the
importance of olives.
He said the impact of olive production will not help just KP, but all of
Pakistan. The premier pointed out that food security is one of
Pakistan’s biggest challenges.
“There was a time Pakistan was exporting wheat,” PM Khan said,
adding that last year Pakistan imported three million tones of wheat
and this year Pakistan had to import four million tonnes of wheat.
Similarly, he said, Pakistan also had to import sugar.
“We already import edible oils like ghee and palm oils. Our biggest
challenge in the coming days is how we will provide our people with
food and good nutrition,” he said.
He then spoke about the challenge of foreign exchange reserves and
emphasised on the difference in the country’s import and export
figures.
The third challenge of Pakistan is climate change, he said, adding that
the country’s increasing population needs to be provided with
employment. “Pollution is fast increasing in our cities,” he said.
The premier then said that the 10 billion Tsunami project will protect
our future generation.
He urged the youth of Pakistan to contribute to the project for their
own sake. Olives can bring foriegn exchange into Pakistan, he said,
reasoning that it could save the country funds.
The government is giving priority to olive cultivation which will not
only make the farmers prosper but also help save foreign exchange.
Pakistan spends a lot on the import of edible oil that can be reduced
with the production of olive oil locally by planting olive trees
particularly on western bank of the Sindh River, he said.
The production of olive oil can also generate news jobs and flourish
businesses in the country.
He asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to use the Miyawaki
method of plantation in Peshawar to tackle the growing issue of
pollution in the city.
Imran Khan said the government is including fruit trees in Ten Billion
Tree Tsunami, which will create new employment opportunities. He
said areas will be divided in different zones scientifically to plant
specific fruit trees.
Highlighting Pakistan’s vulnerability in climate change, the Prime
Minister urged the youth to participate in plantation campaigns in their
areas.
