Rajasthan government has decided to promote olive (Jaitun) cultivation from the existing 240 hectares to 5,200 hectares under various schemes this year. This step has been taken with an aim to make the state a hub for olives in India. Around 200 hectares under the National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) and 5,000 hectares under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) will be brought under olive cultivation this year.
The state government had harvested the first crop of olive fruits last year which was to the tune of 100 tonnes. It had also extracted 10,000 litres of oil, which was marketed under the brand name ‘Raj Olive Oil’. This year, the government is planning to boost production of olive oil, known for health benefits, from the current level of 10,000 litres and make ‘Raj Olive oil’ an international brand.
Further, the state government is providing technical assistance and giving free plants to farmers in order to encourage then to grow more olive trees. The state is currently growing oil plants and plans to promote non-oil varieties of olives used as salad. The oil plants are currently grown in districts like Bikaner, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Jhunjhunu.