Status report on global Neem usage - Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal

SUMMARY
Indeed, neem has been effective in animal husbandry where it has been applied in the
treatment of ectoparasites such as ticks.
The main problems hindering greater acceptance of neem by farmers include poor dissemination
of neem-related knowledge and the fact that farmers have no access to neem either
as raw material or ready-to use products. E.g. in those regions such as vegetable growing
areas in which neem could be used successfully, there are not enough trees or none at all.
Another important reason is the lack of funds for the often small neem manufacturing companies
to invest in professional marketing and distribution strategies.
This document presents more than 120 projects, organisations, institutions and microindustries
and companies in 58 countries that are working on neem. The most important
activities when working with neem in this context are to disseminate both the tree itself and
knowledge of its potential uses, in particular as a non-synthetic pesticide.
India, Myanmar, Thailand, Kenya and the Dominican Republic are cited as examples of the
way in which neem can be successfully propagated and used as a pesticide.
Those areas suffering from erosion could be reafforested with neem trees and given the
tree’s many possible uses, villages could set up micro-industries which would help improve
the income situation in rural areas. In addition to using the seeds as a raw material for the
manufacture of pesticides, soaps, fertilisers etc., the wood from the tree can be used for construction
and fuel and the leaves for medical, cosmetic and agricultural purposes.
By referring to main references on neem, proceedings of conferences and workshops as well
as publications of GTZ staff and the work conducted in a number of industrialised countries,
the <strong>report</strong> then goes on to show just how vital and promising biological, non-synthetic
pesticides are for the future.
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