(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM)
Fulfilling Prime Minister’s vision of 100% Neem coated urea, GNFC of which Dr. R K Gupta is CMD embarked upon a massive backward integration project by involving hundreds of thousands of rural women in collection of Neem seeds and production of Neem oil. By collection of around 45,000 MT of Neem seeds in last three years. Neem Project has generated additional income of around Rs. 45 crores to 4.5 lakh women and around two lakh other people involved in collection, transportation, storage and processing of Neem seeds in around eight thousand villages in states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. This additional income generation has empowered lakhs of rural women by increasing their participation in family decision making and assets creation. Economic empowerment and social emancipation by Neem Project are sincere efforts by GNFC to fulfill Prime Minister’s vision of rural women empowerment and rural upliftment. Ministry of Fertilizers has advised other fertilizer companies to replicate Neem Project.