The prospect of commercial cultivation of olive in the Barind region of Rajshahi seems quite bright. With a little effort, farmers of the region can earn huge profits by cultivating olive, just like mango and litchi. Alim Uddin, principal scientific officer of the Rajshahi Fruits Research Centre, said two varieties of olive grow in the country. Of those, BAU Olive-1 is commercially cultivated in some districts. Besides, some indigenous varieties grow in the wild, around houses or on mounds of earth, he added.
In Bangladesh, olive is used to make pickles or as a souring agent. Although a huge quantity of olive oil is imported, there has been no effort to produce it in the country. If the olive grown in the country is used to make oil, foreign exchange can be saved and the country can become self-sufficient in olive oil.
In local markets, olive is sold for Tk. 60–80 per kg. From a full-grown olive tree, 150–200 kg of the fruit can be harvested, which can be sold for Tk. 9,000–16,000. Moreover, in an olive orchard, crops like turmeric, ginger, pepper, aubergin and other vegetables can be cultivated too.
Talking about the medicinal properties of olive, Samiul Huda Shibly, director of Shahi Laboratory, said olive oil is used for massage as well as cooking across the world. Nurul Amin, deputy director of the Agriculture Extension Department of Rajshahi, said olive grows well in light, sandy soil. The climate of the country is also suitable for its growth.