PARC, CIHEAM Bari’s OliveCulture Scale-Up Project and the Olive Growers Association have signed a tripartite agreement to advance olive research and development across Pakistan. The collaboration brings together national research capacity, international technical support and private sector experience to strengthen the country’s olive sector.
Under the agreement a structured Olive Hybridization and Variety Development Program will be launched, centred on controlled crosses between Olea cuspidata, the native wild olive, and Olea europaea, the cultivated olive. The program’s olive hybridization work aims to combine the resilience of wild genetics with the productivity of cultivated lines to generate improved genotypes.
The initiative focuses on genetic improvement and the selection of superior olive genotypes specifically adapted to Pakistan’s varied agro-climatic zones. By developing nationally adapted olive varieties, the partners intend to provide plant material better suited to local conditions, supporting growers and expanding commercial potential across provinces.
This partnership establishes a practical pathway for research institutions and industry to collaborate on variety development, seed selection and subsequent dissemination. With coordinated trials, evaluation and stakeholder engagement, the program is positioned to bridge indigenous wild genetics with cultivated excellence for the future of Pakistan’s olive sector.
