The olives which are being cultivated in the farms of Rajasthan since 2007 will now reach Europe as the government of Rajasthan has inked a partnership agreement for distribution across UK and the rest of Europe with Greenleaf Trading Company from the United Kingdom.
An MoU was signed between Government of Rajasthan and Olitia Foods Pvt Ltd in GRAM 2016 for producing olive tea. Olitia Foods had promised an investment of INR 10 crores for the same. This step aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling the farmers’ income. It will be available in lemongrass, holy basil, exotic, mint flavours.
In the first phase, they will span over UK and then venture to the other European countries. This agreement has been made for a substantial amount of olive tea. Greanleaf plans to approach stores like Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Olitia Foods has brewed up an alternate to green tea. After years of research, they have come up with the world’s first processed olive tea. This is the first time in the world that machinery has been tailor-made for crushing, tearing and curling of the olive leaves.
It was in 2007 that the Government of Rajasthan started cultivating olives considering that the climate there was suitable for olives. With the help of technology from Israel, they had planted olives on 5000 hectares of land. Prabhu Lal Saini, Agriculture Minister of Rajasthan, says that the lab tests have confirmed the presence of a strong antioxidant called Luteolin in olive leaves that can even help prevent several types of cancer — blood cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.
After the studies and lab tests confirmed these properties of the olive leaves, the decision to process them was taken. It will medically benefit those who suffer from mental stress, cardiac disease. Dharmpal Garhwal, Director at Olitia Foods, said, " I hope it will make condition of farmers by involving in the cultivation of olives with the Government of Rajasthan. With the introduction of exotic crops, farmers are no longer dependent on the conventional crops. After years of research, the olive tea is here. By involving in the cultivation of olives with the Government of Rajasthan, I hope to better the condition of farmers and give the world a modern day elixir, the olive tea".