Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Sunday, Nov 17, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Sunday, Nov 17, 2002 |
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Industry & Economy
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Events `Promote neem on global arena' Our Bureau
NEW DELHI, Nov. 16 NEEM may have been recognised by the Persians as the "free tree of India"; but much more needs to be done to promote it in the global arena, according to experts working on the subject. "While the world is familiar with the tea tree of Australia, gingko biloba of China, ginseng of Korea and aloe vera of Mexico, neem could emerge as the biggest player of them all with appropriate promotional and techno-commercial support from authorities," pointed out Pramila Thakkar, Secretary General, Neem 2002. Neem 2002, the fourth World Neem Conference, is scheduled to be held in Mumbai between November 27 and 30 and is designed to bring together scientists, researchers, industry and other players concerned with neem. She pointed out that there was a need to recognise neem as a plantation crop, if the country had to tap its latent market potential. China had recognised the importance of neem, and organic fertilisers like neem-coated urea, since its agricultural products were being rejected due to high pesticide-residues in the European and US markets, she said. In fact, China has undertaken a project to plant seen million trees in the next couple of years, she added. Dr B.N. Vyas, General Programme Secretary of the conference and representative with Godrej Agrovet, pointed out that impediments to growing the popularity of neem in the country needed to be weeded out if it were to realise its full potential, estimated at Rs 1,000 crore. At present, the market is only about Rs 50 crore. Neem Foundation, a voluntary organisation promoting Neem and a co-organiser of the conference, has initiated a programme in association with Ministry of Small-Scale Industries and KVIC to promote the setting up of one oil mill in a cluster of villages. The oil could be sold as inputs for other applications and segments of industry, Thakkar pointed out.
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