4.2.7 ''Lessons learnt'' and recommendations

Technical information. There is still a lack of technical information on the level of the manufacturers. For instance, the by-product neem oil has not yet been fully used due to the lack of appropriate machinery and technology. More technical information about oil pressing would add more value to neem processing without increasing the costs. Consequently,

(i) the costs of raw material may be reduced if neem oil is used to its full potential, and

(ii) the quality of neem extract remains unchanged while the cost is reduced - hence the price of product can be lower.

This is an important point in making a neem product more competitive than a synthetic pesticide.

Input supply. The supply of neem seeds and fruits fluctuates from year to year. Raw material seems to be the most important issue in the business. Regarding the capacity of the neem business investigated, there is no problem with production capacity. For the time being, this means that the production can still be expanded within the existing plant. However, an increasing supply of neem seed raw material, either domestic or from neighbouring countries, will contribute to the expansion of neem pesticide production. In particular, neem supply in Thailand has yet to be investigated. This may become the bottleneck of neem production in the future, if more companies decide to invest in neem. Therefore, research on the raw material of neem is needed urgently. Moreover, there has to be a programme for selecting and/or breeding the Thai neem tree to improve the azadirachtin content of seed kernels.

Quality conservation. Since azadirachtin is the most important active ingredient in neem product, it can function as a quality marker. At present, all existing neem extracts in Thailand exhibits rapid degradation of the active ingredient during storage. Therefore, a technology for producing neem formulations which are more stable during storage needs to be found and implemented, in order to improve neem products in Thailand.

Recommended development and/or government support programmes

· A generic advertising and promotion programme for neem products,

· Regular investigation of sub-standard and/or unregistered neem-based insecticides on the market,

· Consideration of lower tax on the raw materials for neem products such as ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, which are environmentally friendly and may be used as substitutes for methanol.

· An intensive survey of the existing neem seed potential in Thailand,

· Government support programme for neem tree plantation,

· Research on bio-technology to improve the neem trees (fruit production and azadirachtin content).