Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain met with Portuguese Minister for Agriculture and the Sea, José Manuel Fernandes, in Lisbon to enhance bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food security, olive sector development, and climate-resilient farming.
Olive Sector Progress Highlighted
Rana Tanveer Hussain highlighted Pakistan's olive sector achievements, noting that over 7 million olive trees have been cultivated across 55,669 acres. The sector is supported by modern olive oil extraction units, processing facilities, quality testing laboratories, and a rapidly expanding value chain.
The minister emphasized Pakistan's investment potential in olive cultivation, processing, packaging, and value-added products. He pointed to investor-friendly incentives under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Board of Investment (BOI), including 100 percent foreign ownership, long-term land leases, duty-free import of agricultural machinery, tax incentives, and one-window facilitation for investors.
Invitation for Portuguese Investment
Rana Tanveer invited Portuguese investors and companies to explore joint ventures and public-private partnerships in Pakistan's olive sector, describing Pakistan as an emerging destination for sustainable agricultural investment.
Both sides discussed expanding cooperation in agricultural research, mechanized harvesting, olive oil extraction technology, quality certification, value addition, and capacity building through institutional linkages between research organizations.
Climate-Smart Agriculture and Water Management
The ministers exchanged views on promoting climate-smart agriculture, efficient water management, drip irrigation technologies, and sustainable land management practices. Rana Tanveer reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to the International Olive Council (IOC) following its accession as a permanent member, and expressed resolve to align national standards with international benchmarks to enhance global competitiveness of Pakistani olive products.
Invitation to Visit Pakistan
Rana Tanveer extended an invitation to José Manuel Fernandes to visit Pakistan and witness progress under the National Olive Programme, exploring new avenues of cooperation in agriculture, trade, technology transfer, and investment. The Portuguese minister appreciated Pakistan's olive sector achievements and expressed interest in expanding collaboration for mutual benefit.
