Capt Krishan Sharma
India Post News Service
It is surprising that the olive plant not native to India is now producing olive tea made from olive leaves. In most countries, olive leaves are either thrown into waste or mixed into manure.
This project was birthed during former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s visit to Israel in the year 2008. During her visit she signed several MOUs with the Israeli government especially in the field of agricultural development including advanced irrigation methodologies.
Rajasthan Olive Cultivation Limited (ROCL), a joint venture of Rajasthan government and Israeli partners was set up, with saplings brought from Israel to test plantation in Bassi Village, 40km from Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Despite olive not being a traditional crop of Rajasthan, the state has been successful in producing and processing olives, statewide. In order to double the income of olive growing farmers, the state government then decided to use olive leaf to make processed olive leaf tea.
To promote the private sector, the agriculture department further signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Olitia Foods Pvt Limited headed by Dharam Pal its founder.
It is believed olive leaf tea has medicinal benefits and helps in treating serious diseases such as cancer and diabetics.
During Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2018 visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Israeli PM was served by President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi, the olive leaf tea produced in Rajasthan. Overwhelmed with the innovation Netanyahu had said, Israel would like to learn the technique of making processed olive leaf tea from Rajasthan.
While Olives are an integral part of the Jewish state, with its emblem adorned by two branches of the olive tree, the tea, of course, has become the most loved beverage of India.
During our visit to Bassi, Rajasthan, we met Dharam Pal and his wife Sarika, both of who are passionate about the production of Olive leaf tea called OLITIA and several olive-based personal care products. They have also decided to develop organic foods and farming practices using Israeli technologies. India being a farm-based country such a success story gives a tremendous boost to the farmers, to switch to appropriate cash crops in order to improve incomes.
Further, Olitia Foods Pvt Ltd had also signed up with BORGES of Spain to promote globally.
The product is witness to the synergy of ancient and modern farming.
