ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called for greater focus on olive production, processing, value addition and exports, while offering to send 100 young agricultural graduates to Italy for training in olive production, processing and marketing.

Launching the Pakistan National Olive Value Chain Policy, the prime minister said Pakistan imports edible oil worth around $4 billion annually and that saving $400 million a year through increased domestic production would be a great national achievement.

He expressed confidence that Pakistan could become self-sufficient in edible oil within a few years and called for the rapid expansion of sunflower cultivation.

Thanking the Italian government and other partners, PM Sharif said it is time to focus on olive production in Pakistan, its value chain, processing, value addition and exports.

“I am ready to announce if we can send 100 young boys and girls, fresh agri-graduates, to Italy for training in various fields of olive production, its processing and its marketing and everything. We will spend from our own resources,” he said.

He said the graduates would acquire knowledge in Italy and use it in Pakistan for the benefit of farmers.

PM Sharif thanked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, calling her a “wonderful prime minister”, and thanked the Italian government for its cooperation in promoting olive cultivation and production in Pakistan.

Earlier, Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Ugo Ciarlatani said Italy and Pakistan had a longstanding partnership spanning more than seven decades, with cooperation covering agriculture, science, education, trade and security.

He said the National Olive Value Chain Policy reflected years of cooperation, including the $100 million Pakistan-Italy Debt Swap Program, which helped establish olive orchards across the country.

Ciarlatani said Islamabad had more than seven million olive plants, while Italy’s Olive Culture Project had supported laboratories, nurseries, business groups and training for more than 700 stakeholders.

He said Italy was also supporting Pakistan’s technical and vocational education through a 20-million-euro capacity-building program focusing on high-value agriculture, including olive cultivation and production.

He expressed hope that the new policy would transform Pakistan’s olive sector into a thriving agro-industry, benefiting farmers, women and youth, while further strengthening Italy-Pakistan relations.