Status of Neem in Senegal

Neem was introduced in the year 1994 into Senegal. Since its introduction, it has spread throughout the country, primarily through the governments reforestation programs, and can be found along roads and in public spaces, as well as in villages. The current biomass in Senegal is estimated to be anywhere between 10-20 million trees, primarily located in the regions of Louga, Dourbel, Kaolack, Fatick, Thies, Tambacounda, and Kolda, however the trees can be found in most parts of the country.

Production and potential of Neem in Senegal Senegal has the potential for a significant amount of neem production, which is currently being under-utilized. A single tree can produce an average of 50-100 kilos of seeds a year, and this would be more for a large tree. Even with a conservative estimate of availability of an average of 15 million trees in the country, this would indicate that Senegal could produce closer to 1 million tons of neem seeds per year.

It is estimated that a single village can produce between 1-4 tons of dried seeds per year, and this number increased to 7-20 tons if a groupement (several villages, approximately a 10 km radius) works together to collect the seeds. One ton of un-dried seed will yield about 800 kilos once dried.

Neem Production Locations in Senegal Neem is available and grows throughout Senegal, but the zones marked A, B, C, and D (Fig.1) are the primary production areas. Approximately 80-90% of neem trees in the country are located in these 4 zones. Figures 1 & 2 will give the locations of the availability of neem in Senegal.

Fig.1. Map of Senegal showing areas of neem availability

Fig.2. Political Map of Senegal for comparison with Fig.1.

Neem Exports from Senegal There are records of about 20tons of neem seeds were exported by an USA based company to be used as a plant health improving material. There is another company producing pesticides exports neem to West African countries. Some other discussions suggest also the ad hoc quantities of neem exports to Europe etc. However, there are no published, specific data on neem exports at present.

Participants of the Senegal neem industry The different actors involved in the Senegal neem trade chain are mainly as follows:

Individual women and womens groups (groupements) who operate as collectors. There are no significant groups of planters or producers because there are no systematic plantations of neem. The women collectors often organized as groups (GIES) are organized also as federations or associations of womens groups (who act as traders, in addition to the occasional informal local trader).

In-country processors of neem, both Senegalese and foreign (Senchim, Asiyla Gum Company for example), and exporters of neem (such as Gantec).

Public sector institutions, international organizations and donors promoting the sub sector, Research organizations, NGOs and universities engaged in research work using neem as experiments.

Associations supported by the first lady of the country are also engaged in producing and promoting neem products mainly in organic agriculture

Processors Shenchim , Asiyla Gum and small scale processors

Exporters of seeds and processed products

From The public sector, one of the main actors is the Direction des Eaux et Forets, part of the Ministry of the Environment, who has been using neem as part of its reforestation campaign, and is responsible for many of the plantings in the country. It is also this agency which has been involved directly with assisting some of the womens groups in this area. Other government agencies, such as the Department of Horticulture, the Department for the Protection of Vegetables, and the Department for Rural Development have also been involved in the sector, mainly by purchasing neem seeds or products for research and testing.

Market Scenario of Neem seeds in Senegal

The available tradable quantity of neem in Senegal is quite Significant. The Local market by organic agriculture producers is in the increase. The typical price for a kilo of cleaned, dried seeds is 100 CFA (XOF) (Communaute Financiere Africaine franc; 1 USD = 487 CFA) and in some areas it had even gone in to 150CFA. , But there are three different ways of processing the seeds post-harvest. It is clear that market information is not well known at the producer level, and in fact many womens groups remove the kernel from the shell, whereas the exporters have indicated that they prefer the seeds with the shells. There also seems to be a lack of information at the exporter level, as some exporters are paying double what others are, for the same product. The prices set and received at all levels vary greatly, even within a single low technology product, such as a liter of locally produced neem oil, or clean, dry seeds with the shells. The export market for neem is primarily interested in clean, dried seeds, with the shells. The processors and exporters prefer to process at their plants in Dakar or abroad, as they have more control over the quality of the oil, neem-cake, and other products produced.

Neems utility as an agricultural product, either as a natural pesticide or as a fertilizer, is still largely unknown, and therefore unutilized, by the local population. However, many villages grow produce in their local and village gardens for sale, and neem could be used domestically to improve their yields and quality. Senchim, a

producer of commercial neem agricultural products in Senegal, does sell to large plantations, but their products may be financially out of reach for many rural farmers.

The Neem Value chain in Senegal (Fig.3.)

Neem production comes primarily from public plantings, although there are some home garden plantings and wild trees. The trees are planted primarily by the government as part of their reforestation programs. The government also provides trees to citizens interested in planting neem, from its nurseries.

At the post-harvest level, the primary activity is collection of the seeds. It is important to wait until the seeds are ripe, or when they fall to the ground. This activity is carried out by women in the villages, sometimes as individuals, but more often through a womens group or collective.

After collection of the seeds, they may be processed locally, or else prepared for export. In local processing, the seeds are dried, cleaned, the shells removed, and the kernels are pressed for oil. Some women have obtained small loans or plan to obtain loans to purchase improved equipment for pressing neem oil. In almost all cases, the purpose of processing neem oil is to make soap, which is then used domestically. The production of neem soap was spurred by donor projects, about 15 years ago, when they first began providing training to womens groups on how to make the soap, and how it was effective for skin ailments, etc. There has been a number of technical assistance efforts since which have trained more women on how to make this product. Currently the only market for pharmaceutical neem products (primarily soap) is the local village market, where there may be some trade, or it may be used domestically. Efforts to sell the soap in other cities met with only limited success. The local traders are often unreliable or Corrupt, and within the local area, the market quickly diminished as more women learned how to make the soap themselves.

To prepare the seeds for export, they are dried, either on a tarp or on a drying table, and then packaged. Depending upon the client, the shells may be removed first, and the packaging may differ slightly (rice sacks and onion sacks were the most common packaging used). Many exporters will provide training to their suppliers on how they would like the neem to be collected, dried, and packaged. International exporters arrange their own transportation to pick up the seeds from a central town or village to take to Dakar, and then ship internationally. They typically also have a local hire that will collect the product in that area. In some cases, the leadership from the womens groups or associations will transport the seeds directly to the processor or exporter in Dakar. In this case, there may be micro-finance institutions involved, as the women will sometimes need to purchase large quantities of neem from surrounding villages in order to fill the clients order.

There are processors in Dakar which process only for their own exports, those who process neem for their use in other products, and also processors who will press neem for oil by order. The machinery for processing neem for oil comes from India.

There are no set quality standards for neem in Senegal, but some of the exporters of neem have their own standards, which is typically based on how processed the seed is (for example, whether the shell is removed or not) or the moisture content. One exporter tracked the village that each bag of neem came from, and the quality, for future reference. In some cases, the exporters reject the neem after it has been purchased (if the moisture content is too high, for example), and thus lose money.

The regional market is dominated by Senchim, a Senegalese firm engaged in the production of neem-based agricultural products, including fertilizer and pesticide. They current export to most of West Africa, as well as a few countries in other parts of Africa, and also sell their products within Senegal. In Senegal, Senchims products are very well known, and found to be effective by large farmers.

The international market outside of Senegal is focused on the United States and Europe. Neem is exported either as dried seeds, or as a semi-finished product, such as oil (for cosmetic input, etc.). Currently there is interest in neem as both an agricultural and pharmaceutical product in these markets.

Fig.3. Export & Local market chains of neem seeds in Senegal

Unique Characteristics of the Neem Value Chain in Senegal

First of all, this is a product that is not yet or always recognized for its economic value a large amount of the seeds are currently going waste.

Another interesting characteristic of the value chain is that the primary resource is freely available, and in fact has become available to the villages because of its dual use as an excellent tree for reforestation and preventing desertification. Nearly all parts of the neem tree can be utilized the wood, leaves, bark, and seeds, although the only product being processed or sold in Senegal at this time is the seeds.

Another aspect of the neem value chain is that many actors play multiple roles. For example, a woman in a village may act as the collector, carry out post-harvest activities, process the neem, and also transport and trade the neem in Dakar.

Alternatively, an exporter may act as their own local trader, provide their own transportation, provide training to their suppliers, and process the neem in their own factory. It is also interesting that each buyer of neem has their own suppliers, and is typically working with a specific village or set of villages. They often provide particular training to those villages, and will then work only with those villages for the next few years. Unfortunately, this also leads to inconsistency, as many villages lose their clients after only a few short years, after having received very specific training on post-harvest practices, quality, or processing, which may not necessarily be transferable to the next client. There is very little communication and information shared between the suppliers/producers and the buyers/exporters, and the suppliers do not seem to have knowledge of why a client begins or ends their relationship with them. As a result of this inconsistency, the neem is now only produced if there is a specific order to be filled.

Contact information

Asiyla Gum Company, SARL. Sipres II villa No. 192 Dakar, Senegal Tel: 867 47 16 Fax: 867 47 15 Tapas Ranjan Mohanty, General Director Cell: 639 97 25 Direct Line: 867 47 18 Email: ephlsn@sentoo.sn Mamadou Ndiaye, Assistant General Director Cell: 639 97 36 Email: ndiaymad@hotmail.com

Senchim Km 13, Route de Rufisque BP 21236 Dakar, Senegal Tel : +221 879 14 44 Dr. Abdoulaye Dieye, Technical Director Tel : +221 879 14 50 Email : abdieye@ics.sn

Gantec 4520 E. Ashman Road, Suite N. Midland, MI 48642 Tel: 989 631 9300 www.gantecinc.com Richard Olsen, President Cell: 989859 3954 rcraric@aol.com Ken Holzhei, Director of African Operations Cell: 989 737 2406 ken@holzhei.com

PCV Constantinos Kokkinos Health and Environmental Education Agent Niandouba, Kolda, Senegal +221 77 67 20 266 cgkokkinos@gmail.com gniklaw.blogspot.com Dr. Doudou D. Faye (founder and Executive Director) Africa Bound Corporation (ABC) 340 Jones Rd. Cedar Creek, Texas 78612. USA. Phone/Fax: (512)321-9911. Mob. : (512) 294-1732 Email: ddfaye@africabound.org

References: 1. Neem Value Chain: Senegal USAID (2007) 2. Status report on global neem usage, Peter Forster & Gereald Moser (2000) 3. Several Web links

Azadirachtin content of neem kernels in samples from various origins (2000)

Global market value of dried neem seeds in US$ (2000)