ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is planning overseas training for 100 professionals and stakeholders involved in the olive value chain to strengthen technical skills and support the development of the country’s growing olive industry.
Additional Secretary-I at the Ministry of National Food Security and Research Alam Zeb Khan chaired a meeting to discuss implementation of the Prime Minister’s initiative. Officials from the Olive Project, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and CIHEAM-Bari participated in the meeting.
The meeting focused on developing a comprehensive training plan for public- and private-sector stakeholders and identifying areas where international expertise and advanced technical skills are needed.
Key areas identified for capacity building included nursery management, orchard management, pre- and post-harvest practices, olive oil processing and milling, table olives, value addition, quality assurance and market development.
Alam Zeb Khan stressed that the programme should be based on a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) to identify actual skill gaps and select participants according to their professional requirements. He said this approach would help ensure that the training provides long-term benefits to Pakistan’s olive sector.
The meeting also discussed a multi-country training approach to benefit from specialised expertise available in Türkiye, Tunisia and Italy. Training destinations and schedules would be aligned with technical requirements and the seasonal cycle of olive production.
The initiative aims to develop skilled human resources across the olive value chain and transfer international knowledge and expertise to Pakistan. Improved skills in production, processing, quality assurance and value addition could help strengthen the sector and create greater opportunities for sustainable agricultural development.
The programme is part of efforts to build technical capacity and support the long-term growth and competitiveness of Pakistan’s olive industry.
