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Coimbatore to host World Neem Conference

Staff Reporter

`It will be a forum to explore the latest frontiers in neem research'

NEEM INITIATIVE: Mayor R.Venkatachalam (left) receiving neem sapling from Pramila Thakkar, Secretary General, World Neem Conference (right), at Race Course in Coimbatore on Tuesday. - PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

COIMBATORE: The fifth world neem conference will be held here from November 21 to 24, Pramila Thakkar, Managing Trustee of the Neem Foundation and secretary general of the conference, said here recently. "It will be a forum to explore the latest frontiers in neem research," she said.

While awareness about the medicinal properties of neem was increasing among countries across the world, they were yet to recognise the plant as a viable alternative to chemicals and pesticides.

The objective of the foundation was to create an identity for neem as a unique bioresource of India, which had the potential for commercialisation.

It aimed to plant 10 crore neem trees in the country in 10 years.

It was also co-ordinating with the Ministry of Environment and Forests to initiate programmes for proper utilisation of neem through village-based enterprises.

Coimbatore was chosen as the venue for the conference because Tamil Nadu had ten per cent of the 20 million neem trees in the country. The State had 25 lakh neem trees and 30 per cent of the neem seeds collected were from the State.

Neem had a direct impact on agriculture, medicine, animal health, food preservation, water purification and production of cosmetics. "In agriculture, if at least five per cent of urea is coated with neem, India can save at least Rs.150 crore on urea," she said. Urea, coated with neem, helped plants in the absorption of nitrogen.

Scientists, ecologists, researchers, students and corporates from all over the world would participate. Organic farming, bio-medicine, and intellectual property rights would also be discussed.

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