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'''Olive production in India''' is concentrated in the state of [[Rajasthan]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-19|title=India Olive Oil Market Outlook (2020-2025) - Drivers and Challenges - ResearchAndMarkets.com|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200219005396/en/India-Olive-Oil-Market-Outlook-2020-2025---Drivers-and-Challenges---ResearchAndMarkets.com|access-date=2021-11-28|website=www.businesswire.com|language=en}}</ref> Olives are not [[Native species|native]] to India. Olive production in the country began in 2007 when olive saplings were imported from [[Israel]] and planted in the [[Thar Desert]]. The first olive yield in India occurred in 2012, and commercial [[olive oil]] production began in September 2013. The first Indian-made olive oil brand called Raj Oil was launched on 9 November 2016. India produced 150 tonnes of olives in 2020.

== History ==
An Indian delegation led by [[Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare|Agriculture Minister]] [[Sharad Pawar]] visited Israel in May 2006 to attend the 16th International Agriculture Exhibition. Rajasthan [[List of chief ministers of Rajasthan|Chief Minister]] [[Vasundhara Raje]] was also part of the delegation. During a visit to [[Nitzanei Sinai]], Raje observed olives being grown in the [[Negev]] desert and felt that they could potentially be grown in Rajasthan's [[Thar Desert]]. After returning to Rajasthan, she met with the [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research|Indian Council for Agricultural Research]] but they rejected her proposal citing a previous failed attempt to grow olives in [[Himachal Pradesh]] in 1985. Despite the setback, the [[Government of Rajasthan]] decided to proceed with the project on its own.<ref name="Sood">{{Cite web|last=Sood|first=Jyotika|title=Rajasthan's olive dream|url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/coverage/rajasthans-olive-dream-41780|access-date=2021-11-28|website=www.downtoearth.org.in|language=en}}</ref> It incorporated Rajasthan Olive Cultivation Ltd (ROCL) on 19 April 2007, in which the Rajasthan State Agriculture Marketing Board (RSAMB), [[Pune]]-based [[horticulture]] company Plastro Plasson Industries (India) Limited (now Finolex Plasson Industries (India) Limited) and Israeli company Indolive Limited held equal stakes, to implement a pilot project to grow olives in Rajasthan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://rajolive.com/|access-date=2021-11-28|website=Rajasthan Olive Cultivation Limited|language=en-US}}</ref> The Rajasthan government provided land and $3 million funding for the project,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-04-04|title=Greening India's deserts with olives {{!}} Nishika Patel|url=http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2011/apr/04/india-deserts-olives-cultivation|access-date=2021-11-28|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> [[Finolex Group|Finolex]] [[Plasson]] Industries supplied [[micro-irrigation]] solutions and equipment, while Indolive provided the expertise required for the project.<ref name="Sood" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-19|title=Indian exotica|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/indian-exotica/103503/|access-date=2021-11-28|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Olive has begun thriving in Rajasthan|url=https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/features/story/olive-mediterranean-fruit-has-begun-thriving-in-rajasthan-46675-2014-05-29|access-date=2021-11-28|website=Business Today|language=en}}</ref> The RSAMB and Finolex also invested {{INRConvert|1.5|c}} each in the project.<ref name="Sood" />

Subsequently, 112,339 saplings from 7 olive varieties - [[List of olive cultivars|Barnea]], [[Arbequina]], [[Coratina|Cortina]], [[Koroneiki]], [[Picual]], [[Frantoio]] and [[Picholine]] - were imported from Israel and planted across 182 hectares of land provided by the State Government.<ref>{{cite web|title=Olive Cultivation an Innovative Project|url=https://rkvy.nic.in/Uploads/SucessStory/RAJASTHAN/2018/2018120458Olive%20Cultivation%20an%20Innovative%20Project.pdf|access-date=28 November 2021|website=Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana}}</ref> Eight olive farms were established in the districts of [[Jaipur district|Jaipur]], [[Jhunjhunu district|Jhunjhunu]], [[Bikaner district|Bikaner]], [[Sri Ganganagar district|Sri Ganganagar]], [[Nagaur district|Nagaur]], [[Jalore]] and [[Alwar]] for the project.<ref name="IANS">{{Cite news|last=IANS|date=2016-10-28|title=Rajasthan promotes progressive farming with olive cultivation (Lead, with Images)|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/rajasthan-promotes-progressive-farming-with-olive-cultivation-lead-with-images-116102800446_1.html|access-date=2021-11-28}}</ref> A [[Plant nursery|nursery]] was established in Durgapura, near [[Jaipur]] to harden the rooted cuttings of the saplings before transplanting them in the farms. The saplings began [[flower]]ing in 2011 and started yielding fruit by 2012. However, only 3 of the 7 varieties bore fruit resulting in a total production of just 10 tonnes. ROCL Chief Operations Officer Yogesh Verma described the pilot project as a success stating that lab tests had shown that the olives had an oil content ranging from 9-14% compared with an oil content of 12-16% in other olive producing countries, and that they would now focus on boosting yields. Gideon Peleg, Indolive's lead for the project, noted that conditions in Rajasthan were not similar to Israel as the former had extremely high temperatures, long [[monsoon]]s and chilly winters. He also felt that previous attempts to grow the plant in Himachal Pradesh and in [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] had failed due to a lack of expertise.<ref name="Sood" />

The Rajasthan government subsequently established a nursery at [[Bassi, India|Bassi]], Jaipur with a capacity to produce 1 million plants annually, and announced significant subsidies on olive saplings, [[Fertilizer|fertilisers]] and [[drip irrigation]] systems to promote olive cultivation among farmers in the state.<ref name="Sood" /><ref name="IANS" />

Commercial [[olive oil]] production began in Rajasthan in September 2013. Over 144,000 olive trees had been planted on almost {{convert|260|ha|acre|abbr=off}} of public and private land in the state by 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2013-07-16|title=India's plan to become a leading olive oil producer|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-23123801|access-date=2021-11-28}}</ref> Rajasthan produced 100-110 tonnes of olives in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rajasthan produces 100 Tonnes of olives, production expected to grow manyfold|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-rajasthan-produces-100-tonnes-of-olives-production-expected-to-grow-manyfold-2021191|access-date=2021-11-28|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref> In the same year, an [[Olive oil extraction|oil extracting]] machine was procured from [[Italy]] and an [[Cooking oil#Refinement|olive oil refinery]] was established in [[Bikaner]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=How the Italian olive is blooming in Rajasthan desert - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-the-italian-olive-in-blooming-in-rajasthan-desert/articleshow/71292954.cms|access-date=2021-11-28|website=The Times of India}}</ref> In August 2015, the Rajasthan announced plans to scale up olive production to cover 5,200 hectares in the state.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Rajasthan to scale up olive cultivation area to 5,200 hectares|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/rajasthan-to-scale-up-olive-cultivation-area-to-5200-hectares/articleshow/48315237.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2021-11-28}}</ref> The Government of Rajasthan launched India's first olive oil brand called Raj Oil at the Global Rajasthan Agri-tech Meet (GRAM) in Jaipur on 9 November 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-11-01|title=India Set to Launch its Own Olive Oil Brand|url=https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/business/asia/india-set-launch-olive-oil-brand/53436|access-date=2021-11-28|website=Olive Oil Times|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Rajasthan to launch country's first indigenous olive oil brand|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/food/rajasthan-to-launch-countrys-first-indigenous-olive-oil-brand/articleshow/55008967.cms?from=mdr|access-date=2021-11-28}}</ref>

Rajasthan produced 150 tonnes of olives in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tripathy|first=Srikanta|title=Rajasthan: Olive oil crushing starts, farmers expect record harvest|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/olive-oil-crushing-starts-farmers-expect-record-harvest/articleshow/77880071.cms|access-date=2021-11-28|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Agriculture in India}}
{{Olives}}
{{Asia topic|Olive production in}}

[[Category:Olive production by country|India]]
[[Category:Agricultural production in India by commodity]]

Olive production in India - Revision history

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