EDITORIAL NOTES

You will recall that our Vol. III No. 2 issue cover carried the caption NEEM COATED UREA: MAKING IT HAPPEN. It took more than 5 years of persuasion and several representations, dialogue, discussions and presentations to various Ministries, for the Foundation to persuade the Authorities to make coating of urea with neem a reality !!

We are happy to announce that the Government of India has finally issued a notification indicating Fertilizer Control Order amendments to include specifications of neem coated urea. All urea manufacturers who wish to manufacture neem coated urea at their factories can now introduce this category of product in the market. Therefore, our MESSAGE TO INDIAN FARMERS: ASK FOR  NEEM - COATED  UREA. Now that the clearance has come through, it is the market demand that will drive the production.

In this issue, we bring you loads of information on the potential and utility of neem in agriculture.  We reproduce below the opinion of Prof. H. Schmutterer as reported in the Financial Express, Mumbai, during his visit for the World Neem Conference 2002.
Q) Can neem as an important bio-pesticide compete with synthetic pesticides?

A) As far as India is concerned, neem is one of the most important tree for the country as a whole, more so for crop protection as also to increase its applications for bio-pesticides that can improve its use in organic farming and improve exports of organic food.

However, even when the Indian government seems to be interested in spreading the awareness of neem as an important bio-pesticide, the members and colleagues from the synthetic pesticide industry seem to be lobbying more aggressively against the supporters of neem and other bio-pesticides.

It is important for the government and the politicians here to consider supporting growing more neem trees in the country (with necessary awareness and educational support of its use among farmers). The use of neem and its products would help the country save food crops as also earn more forex from exports of organic food products, the demand for which is growing in the developed world.

PThakkar
PThakkar