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Malabar Neem Cultivation
Farmers are Switching Over to Malabar Neem (Melia Dubia) Cultivation
Ongole, Andhra Pradesh: In drought-prone Prakasam district, social forestry plantations farmers have found a better alternative in Malabar neem or Melia Dubia to the tobacco cultivation.
In the western parts as also Maddipadu and S.N. Padu regions close to Ongole, are taking to Malabar neem (Melia Dubia) cultivation in a big way because of its promotion by the Prakasam District Water Management Agency (DWMA).
DWMA Project Director N. Pollappa said that, as Malabar neem gains a height of 40 ft. in just 2 years and start giving returns from the fifth year itself under the rain-fed condition, its cultivation is a safe bet for farmers.
By dovetailing with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to improve the green cover, Mr. Pollappa also been promoting it for growing on farm fringes as also on village wastelands and he explains that while farmers opting to sell Malabar neem to paper mills can easily get a premium price of Rs.5,500 per tonne, those waiting for eight years can get up to Rs. 8,000 per tonne.
He has also facilitated planting of Malabar neem in about 5,000 acres in the district and he said, “We can facilitate marketing arrangement for Malabar neem with traders in Karnataka, where it is sought after by the plywood industry."
Prakasam District Development Forum president Chunduri Ranga Rao spoke on the advantages of growing Malabar neem. He said that, it is a species belonging to the neem family and in view of its anti-termite quality, farmers could get decent returns in view of the multiple uses for Malabar neem. Malabar neem's (Melia Dubia) wood is with high calorific value and it is also used for packing cases, ceiling planks, building purposes, agricultural implements, pencils, match boxes, catamarans, musical instruments and tea boxes.
Acharya N.G. Ranga Kisan Sabha secretary Ch. Seshaiah observe that, from the conventional subabul and eucalyptus with the paper mills driving down the prices for these social forestry crops, more farmers will switch over to Malabar neem in the coming years.