Olive Farming Project in India Fails to Take Off
The olive culÂtiÂvaÂtion project in Punjab, India, launched in 2008 with the aim of diverÂsiÂfyÂing the state’s agriÂculÂtural secÂtor, failed due to poor planÂning and lack of folÂlow-up action by the govÂernÂment-conÂtrolled Punjab Agro Industries Corporation (PAIC). Despite selectÂing Israeli firm Indolive as a partÂner and idenÂtiÂfyÂing land for the project, PAIC did not select an olive variÂety for culÂtiÂvaÂtion, leadÂing to the proÂjecÂt’s failÂure before it even began.
India’s leadÂing agriÂculÂtural state of Punjab has failed to exeÂcute its ambiÂtious olive culÂtiÂvaÂtion project that was launched with much fanÂfare in 2008.
The govÂernÂment-conÂtrolled Punjab Agro Industries Corporation (PAIC) had announced its plans to introÂduce olive farmÂing with a view to diverÂsiÂfyÂing the state’s agriÂculÂtural basÂket. PAIC selected the Israeli olive culÂtiÂvaÂtion firm Indolive as its partÂner for the project.
Initial groundÂwork on the project was carÂried out by PAIC’s subÂsidiary Agri Exports Corporation (Pagrexco). It studÂied Indolive’s sucÂcessÂful olive planÂtaÂtion project in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan. PAIC idenÂtiÂfied 400 acres of land for the project at Ladhowal in Punjab with an aim to repliÂcate the sucÂcess achieved in Rajasthan.
However, a recent inquiry made into the progress of the project by a leadÂing Indian newsÂpaÂper has revealed that the much-pubÂliÂcized launch of the project was never folÂlowed up with real action on the ground.
The authorÂiÂties have admitÂted that no olive variÂety was selected for the project. Poor planÂning, lack of research, and a failÂure to mainÂtain proper monÂiÂtorÂing of the project on part of the state govÂernÂment led to the project’s natÂural death even before its incepÂtion.
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