Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, led Pakistan’s delegation to the 123rd meeting of the International Olive Council (IOC) held in Lisbon on Tuesday. Accompanying him was Aisha Farooqui, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Portugal. This meeting marked Pakistan’s first participation as a permanent member following its admission to the IOC in May 2026.
Pakistan joined 27 other olive oil-producing countries at the council, where it received a warm welcome from the IOC Executive Director, the Chairman, and all member nations. In his address, the minister expressed gratitude to the IOC and reiterated Pakistan’s dedication to advancing the council’s objectives and initiatives.
During the session, the minister provided an overview of Pakistan’s rapidly developing olive industry, which now boasts over 7 million olive trees cultivated on 55,669 acres. Olive-growing clusters are expanding nationwide, supported by a comprehensive “farm-to-fork” value chain. This infrastructure includes 51 olive oil extraction units, state-of-the-art processing plants, nurseries, weather monitoring stations, and four quality laboratories aligned with IOC standards.
Notably, Pakistan has achieved self-reliance in producing certified olive saplings domestically, a milestone that underscores its growing expertise in the sector. These advancements have garnered international acclaim, including a Silver Award at last year’s New York International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC).
Looking ahead, Pakistan is committed to playing a collaborative and constructive role in promoting sustainable and climate-resilient development within the global olive oil and table olives industry.
