Israel to learn processing of olive leaf tea from state
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will learn the technique of making processed olive leaf tea from Rajasthan. During Netanyahu’s visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on January 15, the Israeli PM was served olive tea made in Bikaner.
The olive tea was produced by Rajasthan Olive Cultivation Limited (ROCL), a joint venture between the Rajasthan government and Israeli partners.
Netanyahu praised the olive tea and took information about its processing and production.
“It’s a matter of pride for us that the Indian President welcomed the Israeli PM by serving olive tea. We had brought the olive saplings from Israel and today the Netanyahu is saying that Israel will learn the technique of making processed olive leaf tea from us,” Rajasthan agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini said.
He said that chief minister Vasundhara Raje had gone to Israel along with a team of agriculture experts in 2008 and after
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returning she decided to start cultivation of olive in Rajasthan. The first olive plant was planted at Dhidhol government farm in Bassi on March 20, 2008. Olive has been sown in seven agro-climatic zones in the state on an experimental basis and it proved successful.
Saini said despite olive not being a traditional crop of Rajasthan, the state has been successful in producing and processing olive.
In order to double the income of olive growing farmers, the state government decided to use olive leaf to make processed olive tea. The agriculture department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Olitia Foods Pvt Limited.
The agriculture minister said that olive tea has medicinal benefits and helps in treating serious diseases such as cancer. Olive tea has antioxidants and also helps diabetics.