After successful growth and fruit bearing stage of the trees, the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation (TBTTP) project in Nowshera Amangarh would assist create 112,000 litres of edible oil each year worth billions of rupees. According to APP Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tariq Khadim, the Peshawar Forest Division has planted olive trees and numerous other native species on an area of 2,000 hectares (ha) or 40,000 kanals as part of the TBTTP project.
According to Khadim, 8,000 olive trees were planted throughout a 27-hectare portion of the total land, with the rest of the plantation consisting of local species such as Keekar, Phulai, Bher, and other native species. Although the topography was favourable for olive farming, the lack of average rainfall and water availability remained a severe issue.
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He claimed that roughly 10 solar-powered tubewells were built to assure water supply for olive saplings using the drip irrigation method. According to Khadim, a massive network of 16,000 feet water pipes was erected in the area as part of a one-of-a-kind initiative by the Forest Department Peshawar Division to ensure adequate water supply for olive saplings. “After seven years of growth, one olive plant can bear up to 80-120 kg of fruit, which can provide 8-14 litres of oil,” he responded to a question.
The Prime Minister opened the Olive Plantation Site in March of last year, and it was intended to serve as a model for promoting olive agriculture through actual plantation of the species, he said.”The Forest Department, in collaboration with Olives, plans to use the 40,000 kanals of land as a multipurpose plantation site that can also help grow other fruit bearing species that could yield profitable economic returns,” Khadim said. Only Bher plants were planted over 100ha of the entire area for the Billion Tree Honey initiative, he continued, because of the potential of such vast afforestation to yield honey.
