Chennai: Great business opportunities await neem, India's wonder-tree, thanks to growing international patronage for organic agriculture and natural health care products across the globe.

Neem-based fertilisers as well as other neem-based products are all set to emerge as a major forex-spinner for the country with the growing awareness of the multifaceted properties of neem in agricultural, health and cosmetic applications, according to experts.

India, the largest producer of neem accounting for as much as half of the world's neem tree population, already has a leadership in neem products which are exported across the globe, says Pramila Thakkar, secretary general of "Neem 2002", the 4th world conference on neem to be hosted by India next month in Mumbai.

The size of the Indian neem industry is currently only Rs 40 to Rs 50 crore of which exports accounted for about 50 per cent, she said, adding that with the neem market showing a healthy growth in the European and US markets of late, the size of the industry was expected to grow manifold even upto Rs 4000 to Rs 5000 crore in the next few years.

"Neem has too strong a case for itself to need any artificial props. The need is just to adopt it, propagate it and it will carve out a niche for itself," she said.

In India, presently there are about five serious players in the neem industry including Godrej Agrovet, EID Parry and PJ Margo Pvt Ltd. There are also a number of small players manufacturing and marketing neem-based healthcare and cosmetic products.

PTI