The Consul General of Italy, Danilo Giurdanella, pointed to the ability of Italy to explore potential avenues for olive cultivation in Sindh. In Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Italy is already aiding Pakistan in the production, extraction and processing of olive products. Italy is now preparing to grow olive fruit in the southern province, where parts of the soil and climate are acceptable for productive yields.
He discussed the presence in some areas of Sindh of wild olive species and expressed his willingness to initiate a dialogue to plan a tentative base-case for olive cultivation in the province. In Karachi, addressing a presser he said,
“The Italian Government is already cooperating with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the fields of olive cultivation, olive fruit processing and extraction of extra virgin olive oil, and we can also examine the possibility of growing olives in Sindh, where there is suitable soil and climate.”
In response to a question, he said that it was possible to invite Italian agricultural experts and people from the food processing industry to assist the authorities, as they were already assisting farmers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Consul General said that Italy was becoming a vital export destination for Pakistani goods and services, with Pakistan posting a trade surplus with Italy in the period 2019-2020, expressing its delight over the growing cooperation between Italy and Pakistan on numerous fronts.
Italy is Pakistan’s 5th-largest export destination. Pakistan’s exports to Italy in 2019-2020 amounted to $730 million, as opposed to an import bill exceeding $490 million. Among the top exports to Italy are:
- Textiles
- Cereals
- Skins and hides
- Plastics
Top imports by Pakistan from Italy include:
- Ships
- Boats
- Machinery
- Pharmaceutical commodities
- Airplanes
- Chemical Substances
- Steel and Iron
