The Center for Applications for Sustainable Development, Catedes, in Guantanamo, contributes to replace imports for agriculture with the production of oil from the neem tree, used as a powerful insecticide against pests in onion, tomato and other short-cycle crops.
For this purpose, there are some 35 hectares planted with this plant in the Baitiquirí settlement, pertaining to the municipality of San Antonio del Sur, where a bio-factory operates to extract the oil from the seeds.
Zadierick Hernández Ortega, technical scientific director of the scientific institution, said that this production is an important alternative to counteract the lack of insecticides, in favor of better agricultural yields.
Hence the importance of extending those plantations to other areas of San Antonio del Sur, Imías, Caimanera, the Guantanamo Valley and in the province´s main city itself, to comply with the claim of producing over 500 L of that product thisyear, says the manager.
Labiofam Company is Catedes ´ main client which produces bioproducts for agriculture from neem oil, as well as non-state workers interested in purchasing this natural insecticide, Zadierick Hernández points out.
The researcher at the Center for Applications for Sustainable Development in Guantanamo said that this tree is a highly carbon sequester, protects soils, among other benefits to the environment. That´s why, the entity is working to increase its plantations in the province.
