Rajasthan News

Rajasthan govt to encourage olive plantation

by RajasthanDirect
Dec 27, 2013

CM Vaundhara Raje now working on her dream project. After a visit to Israel to attend the international agriculture exhibition in May 2006, chief Minister Vaundhara Raje decided to start olive (Jaitun) cultivation in the state and she was bowled over to see the olive trees in the arid landscape of the state. Her visit to Kibbutz in Negev desert of southern Israel, which is very similar to arid regions of Rajasthan, and a decision to replicate the programme here proved beneficial for the state. However, the state government had to face many difficulties as olive is alien to the country and its cultivation was very difficult in arid lands.

On Thursday, to Israeli experts Yual Chain and F Gideon, and Finnolex official Satish Ghatpande attended an official meeting with agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini to discuss the finer details of the project. After the meeting, Saini declared that Rajasthan will be an olive-growing state and it would start cultivation of the crop in another 700 hectares.

Within six months of her visit to Isreal, Raje had signed a tripartite agreement was signed between Israeli company Indolive Limited, Rajasthan State Agricultural Marketing Board (RSAMB) and Pune-based Finnolex Plasson Industries (India) Ltd, to set up a joint venture. The result was the Rajasthan Olive Cultivation Limited (ROCL), which was formed in April 2007. Each company has a share of 33 percent each in ROCL.

Olive is a small tree of the family Oleaceae and is native to the coastal areas of eastern Mediterranean (Italy and Spain), northern Iraq and northern Iran south of the Caspian Sea. Its fruit adorns salads but used primarily to extract olive oil, one of the most expensive cooking oils. In Gulf and Arabian countries, olive is used as a cooking medium as its very healthy.

Saini, who also visited Israel with a team of farmers in 2007, said the state government received a consignment of 40 tonne of olive fruits from Israel for olive oil extraction and within 30 days, the olive oil was ready.

src: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Rajasthan-announces-various-subsidies-for-olive-plantation/articleshow/27993731.cms

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