Olive Oil and the Potential for Olive Cultivation in India

Abstract

The big gap between the production and consumption of edible oil in India is met by imports of more than a million tonnes annually, which have become a heavy drain on the country's slender foreign exchange resources. It is an urgent necessity to augment edible oil production, without prejudice to the cultivation of other agriculturally important crops. The olive offers an edible oil very much valued in the world market, and efforts to introduce its cultivation are desirable. The special properties of this oil and the soil and climatic conditions required for olive cultivation are described and the possibilities are discussed for its introduction in the marginal lands of India, particularly Rajasthan and adjoining areas.