Israeli Companies Participate In Olive Growing Experiment In India

Israeli experiment succeeds So far, olive trees have not been grown in India. But it may soon change - provided that a joint Indian - Israeli experiment succeeds.

50,000 olive saplings of various varieties will be planted near Jaipur in Rajasthan this week to find a variety most suitable for the desert conditions of this Indian state. Later on, one million olive saplings of the selected variety will be sold to nearby farmers by Rajasthan Olive Cultivation Ltd., a joint venture between the Rajasthan State Agriculture Board and three Israeli companies: Plastro, Plasson and Indolive (the latter being partly funded by the Israel government).

“A project such as this, where a new kind of tree is being introduced in a water-scarce environment, hinges on the irrigation system used. So the olive project is as much about drip irrigation as it is about transforming Rajasthan into a major olive grower,” said Lior Weintraub, a spokesman for the Israel embassy in New Delhi. “The main reason the project was considered for Rajasthan was the similarities in climate and cultivation problems in the state and Israel. However, there are major differences in soil and other factors which will have to be addressed,” added Weintraub.

In November 2006, the governments of Israel and the State Rajasthan signed an agreement to promote olive cultivation, followed by a joint venture agreement concluded a year later.

According to Weintraub, the “drip-ferti” direct injection technique to be used in the experimental project saves 40% more water than older drip irrigation methods. It is owing to this method that Israel has achieved a fascinating olive oil production rate of 2.8 tons per hectare.

In the meantime, the government of Rajasthan is running a promotion campaign among local farmers to make them better aware of the advantages of producing olive oil, the global market for which is on a steady growth path.

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