Islamabad, September 10, 2026: Pakistan and Portugal have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the agriculture sector, particularly for the development of Pakistan’s emerging olive industry.
The understanding was reached during a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain with Portuguese Ambassador to Pakistan, Paulo Guedes Domingues, in Islamabad.
The meeting discussed avenues for enhanced cooperation in olive cultivation, olive oil production, research, technology transfer and investment.
The federal minister said Pakistan attached special importance to expanding agricultural cooperation with Portugal, particularly by benefiting from Portuguese expertise in olive farming and the olive oil industry. Referring to his recent visit to Portugal, he appreciated the advanced machinery, technology and expertise being used in the country’s olive oil sector.
Rana Tanveer Hussain said Pakistan saw vast opportunities for cooperation in olive germplasm, modern orchard management, efficient irrigation, water conservation, mechanized harvesting, olive oil extraction and production, as well as post-harvest management.
He said Pakistan was keen to send technical experts to Portugal for specialised training, while Portuguese experts could visit Pakistan to assess local conditions and recommend suitable technologies and practices.
The minister said Pakistan was also looking forward to the expected visit of Portugal’s Minister of Agriculture, during which further progress on agricultural cooperation and a possible Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was expected.
He proposed the establishment of a Pakistan-Portugal Joint Working Group on Olive Cooperation to identify priority areas, facilitate the exchange of experts, promote joint research and training programmes, and encourage investment and joint ventures across the entire olive value chain.
Highlighting Pakistan’s potential in wild olive germplasm, Rana Tanveer Hussain said cooperation with Portugal could help develop climate-resilient and high-yielding olive varieties suitable for drought-prone areas and regions facing extreme temperatures.
He invited Portuguese companies and investors to explore opportunities in olive oil extraction and processing, bottling, packaging, branding and value-added products. The minister also stressed the need to strengthen quality testing, certification, traceability and compliance with international standards to make Pakistani olive oil competitive in global markets.
Portuguese Ambassador Paulo Miguel Gouveia Domingues expressed Portugal’s keen interest in further expanding cooperation with Pakistan in agriculture, particularly in the olive sector. He appreciated the growing potential of olive cultivation in Pakistan and underscored the importance of strengthening institutional, technical and private-sector linkages between the two countries.
Both sides agreed that enhanced cooperation in technology, training, research, investment and market development could play a significant role in the growth and development of Pakistan’s emerging olive oil industry.
