State government owned Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals (GNFC) came into strategic alliance with M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) with objectives of skill development, women empowerment and organic farming through manufacture of Neem Pesticide, Neem Organic Manure and product development from Neem.
MSSRF, a not-for-profit trust, was established in 1988 by Professor M S Swaminathan, agriculture scientist. The Foundation aims to accelerate use of modern science for sustainable agricultural and rural development. MSSRF focuses specifically on tribal and rural communities, with a targeted focus on agrarian issues, skill development and women empowerment.
As part of the MoU a special lecture of GNFC’s Managing Director Dr. Rajiv Gupta delivered a lecture on ‘Towards Sustainable Agriculture — latest Trends and Developments’. In his lecture Gupta said that the genesis and peregrination of the Neem Project, and concluded by elaborating on its replicable model.
In lines with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi GNFC pioneered in 100 per cent Neem Coating of Urea in its manufacturing facility at Bharuch in South Gujarat. GNFC used established community structures in rural India to build linkages within its supply chain network for neem seed collection.