Status Report on Global Neem Usage - Gtz

2. GLOBAL NEEM DISSEMINATION AND USAGE2. Global Neem Dissemination and Usage2.1 Geographical Distribution and Types of UsageThe neem tree, also known as the "Indian neem tree" (Azadirachta indica) is native to SouthAsia, whereby the South of India and Myanmar are the main areas of origin (2, 13, 15, 19). Inthe course of this century, however, the neem tree has spread globally along the tropical belt(see world map, page 10).The tree is most widespread in India - from the most southerly region around Kerala up to theHimalayas. Estimates currently run at approx. 14 to 20 million neem trees throughout thecountry, with roughly 10 million trees in the two provinces of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadualone (2, 13, 15, 19, 23).All of today’s uses of neem can be traced back to traditional forms of usage in India. Nowadays,uses range from simple and extensive to modern and intensive. Smallholders and therural population collect neem raw materials which they then use for medicine, stock protection,etc. Numerous small to medium-sized companies in India manufacture commercialneem products of varying quality which are marketed almost exclusively on a domestic scale.The seeds are the most important raw material for exploiting neem. They are collected by therural population and are then mainly sold on markets or to dealers. The seeds are chieflypressed to obtain oil for soap production. The press cakes thus produced are in turn theparent material for manufacturing formulated pesticides. The wood, bark and leaves haveonly a limited market value and are predominately used by the rural population.In Myanmar the neem tree is particularly well established in the central regions of Mandalay,Magwe and Sagaing. Only a few ten thousand neem trees are to be found in the lower partof Nepal (Terai), whereas in Bangladesh and Pakistan, the neem is a typical and commonsight. What is more, it has been found in Sri Lanka's northerly, mid-easterly and southeasterlysemi-arid areas in numbers of more than 1 million stems (4, 19, 23, 26, 28).Knowledge of neem's many possible uses is not as widespread in these countries as inneighbouring India. But nevertheless, neem is still an important natural resource here too.In the People's Republic of China the first hundreds of neem trees were planted in the early1980s on the peninsula of Hainan and the southern part of Guangdong and are now thriving.In the mid-1990s larger-scale reafforestation with some 100 000 neem trees took place inHainan and the southern valleys of Kumming province (27).In Southeast Asia the neem tree is mostly found in the hot, lowland areas with marked dryperiods. In Thailand the neem species encountered most frequently throughout the country iscalled "Thai neem" (Azadirachta siamensis) which makes up 2/3 of all the neem trees there.Viet Nam planted its first neem trees a few years ago. However, the trees are not growingand fruiting well in the northern provinces due to the cold temperature and in the southernregion due to the typhoons. In Indonesia neem can be found in the eastern and more7