Web Desk: Farmers and agriculture officials in Pakistan’s Khyber district have turned 200 kanals of previously barren land into a productive olive farm, with the latest harvest doubling from the previous year and raising hopes of improved rural incomes.
The farm, established in 2021 in the Loe Shalman area of Landi Kotal, produced 4,000 kilograms of olives this year, compared with 2,000 kilograms in 2025, agriculture department official Hazratullah said.
The project demonstrates the potential of olive cultivation to diversify agricultural production in the region, where farmers are seeking ways to generate additional income alongside traditional seasonal crops and vegetables.
The agriculture department introduced three olive varieties from Italy Alovena, Arbequina and Gemlik and planted them at Durma Kuroona, Wali Mohammad Kuroona and Wazir Kuroona in Loe Shalman in 2021.
Hazratullah said officials selected the varieties because they were considered suitable for the area’s soil and weather conditions. Their growth encouraged local farmers to maintain the orchards and explore further opportunities for olive cultivation.
Following the project’s progress, the department is encouraging more farmers to plant olive trees and expand the area under cultivation.
Local farmer Duniya Gul said the harvested olives were already being used to prepare pickles, while he planned to explore oil extraction as another source of income.
He said the produce had been supplied to markets in the surrounding area and Punjab, adding that successful olive farming could help rural households supplement earnings from seasonal crops and vegetables.
However, Gul called on the authorities to provide high-quality olive saplings and install fencing around farms to protect young trees from animals.
Such support, he said, would help farmers expand cultivation and improve the commercial viability of their orchards.
Separately, the agriculture department and local farmers have completed grafting at least 30,000 wild olive plants in upper Bara, another initiative aimed at expanding olive production in the district.
The grafting programme could help make existing wild olive trees more productive and increase the region’s potential for commercial cultivation.
District Forest Officer Zahid Masud said authorities also planned to construct a watchtower in Sandana to monitor the local forest.
In addition to the olive initiatives, officials plan to cultivate bamboo along both banks of the Bara River to help protect agricultural land from flash floods during the rainy season.
Masud said the plantation would also improve the area’s natural landscape, potentially supporting tourism alongside agriculture.
The initiatives reflect efforts to make greater use of the region’s agricultural resources while protecting farmland and creating opportunities for local communities to diversify their sources of income.
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