The Hindu Business Line : ‘Emulate Chinese initiative on neem’

Coimbatore, Nov 26 The Managing Trustee of the Neem Foundation, Ms Pramila Thakkar, stressed on the need to promote neem aggressively lest we miss out to China.

“China, which was earlier looking at the China Berry (Melia Azaderach) is now showing a lot of interest in neem. It has raised 20 million trees in 5 years while we have only about 22 million over the last several decades. China is also into making value added neem-based products such as shampoo, paste and soap, neem pesticide,” she said, and added that the decision makers in China involved themselves in such conferences and workshops. “There is, therefore, a greater thrust and support.”

She also noted that China was the largest producer of organic horticultural produce and these were exported to Japan.

The Chairman of the World Neem Convention 2007 Organising Committee, Dr Ramesh C. Saxena, said the Chinese Government backed the $20 million Guanming Neem Industry venture.

“China initially took the seeds from Burma and raised neem in the degraded lands in the southern Yuan Province. We should try and emulate China by cultivating neem in the degraded lands here,” he said.

The Neem Foundation is contemplating to send a proposal to the Government for planting of neem along national highways, East-West and North-South corridor at 5 metres interval. “This would besides providing rural employment under the Prime Minister’s Rural Employment Scheme generate income, help reduce environmental pollution, enrich soil health etc.”

While stating that export of organic agricultural products was worth over Rs 200 crore, Dr Saxena lamented that no special incentive was given for neem formulations (such formulations are prime in organic farming) and these were treated on par with chemical products.

The foundation sources noted with concern that the Government, while accepting neem coated urea, subsidised urea and ignored neem.

According to Dr Vyas, WNC2007 Steering Committee member, the annual consumption of urea was of the order of 24 million tonnes. “Only 50 per cent of this is effectively utilised by plants, which means 12 million tonnes is wasted. The subsidy on urea is Rs 36,000 crore. During the current year, we have imported 4 million tonnes of urea. Supplementing even 10 per cent of this will result in huge savings,” he noted.

The foundation members felt that the Government should play a vital role. “A nodal ministry to take up neem related issues is the need of the hour,” Ms Thakkar said.

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