HYDERABAD (July 02 2004): Pakistan endeavouring to bridge the gab betweenedible oil production and consumption but the introduction of palm oilcultivation in coastal area of Sindh has hardly brought any fruits.

A study carried out by a team of foreign and national experts of coastalarea revealed that palm oil plantation in Pakistan was unsuitable due toclimatic constraints particularly percentage of rain fall, number of drymonths, salinity problems and inadequacy of irrigation supply and drainagefacilities.

The experts however observed that on the basis of soil physical andmechanical properties, nutrient status ESE level, current cropping andperformance, drainage and irrigation system and communicationinfrastructure only Tando Muhammad Khan was suitable for palm oilplantation.

But at the same time recommended various measures, imperative to beadopted before planting palm oil.

The recommendations of assessment report also include that for commercialexploitation model holdings in contiguous blocks totalling up to 6,500hectares were pre-requisite.

The Sindh Government has allocated fund for development of palm oilcultivation in the province particularly in coastal in recent budget.