Saplings of high-yielding olives just an inch in size were brought from Israel, grown to a height of 1.5 meters in nurseries and then transplanted to the fields here. The plants will be irrigated with the latest in drip irrigation technology, where the roots are watered directly and nutrients added along with it. This method saves 40% more water than the older method and has been the reason behind the high yield of 2.8 tonnes of olive per hectare in Israel, which they hope to duplicate in Rajasthan.
Israel’s Involvement
Apart from the plants and the joint venture agreement with the Rajasthan government, Israel has been involved in every step of the interesting experiment. The drip irrigation technology and other water recycling techniques have ushered in the “greening of the Negev desert region”, regarded as an agricultural miracle.
Indolive one of the stakeholders in ROCL is a company which has successfully cultivated olives in southern Israel. Two companies from Israel, which specialize in the latest drip irrigation technology, are also part of Plastro Plasson Industries (India) Ltd, which is another stakeholder in ROCL.
Out of an initial investment of Rs 60 million (about US$1.3 million) likely to be made on the project, the Israeli company is contributing Rs 15 million (about US$325,000), with the Agriculture Marketing Board putting in another 15 million and the remaining Rs 30 million (US$750,000) borrowed from Indian banks.
Gideon Peleg is the Israeli technical manager, who is overseeing the entire pilot project and Indolive has already pre-bought the harvest to be cultivated in the project.
The Future
The Rajasthan government is trying hard to get local farmers interested in olive cultivation. They are being informed about olive oil and its demand both in India and overseas. The low cost and the positive feedback have excited the farmers in the region. The olive trees have been planted in rows which are 7 meters apart, to enable groundnut cultivation in the land between the rows. This would help the farmers to start earning even before the olive trees begin to bear fruit. Olive trees take 3 and a half years to bear fruit and then they keep producing them for more than 500 years. The farmers in Basbisna and 6 other places where the pilot project has been initiated are now waiting for the trees to bear fruit, to see and sell their first olives.
As mentioned, the olives have already been bought by an Israeli firm, which is also setting up an oil pressing plant and is planning to sell the olive oil overseas. All stakeholders are also expecting a rise in domestic demand for olive oil with growing health concerns. This projected growth is a source of great hope to the hard-working local farmers and the ROCL.
There are however several challenges to be faced in this fledgling attempt to grow olives in Indian soil. In the Israeli desert, temperatures reach a high of 40 degrees Celsius, whereas in Rajasthan it can go up to 49 degrees. The searing heat is aggravated by strong, sultry winds, which can singe the delicate olive trees and destroy them. In the 7 olive plantations however, great pains have been taken to protect the trees from the strong winds. Special bamboo supports have been built for the trees together with sensors to monitor the health of each plant. The trees have also been planted on undulating land, which are encircled by tropical, evergreen forests, which would ensure additional protection from the heat and wind.
Everything is now in place for the project to succeed, according to Gideon Peleg, the Israeli technical manager.
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