Gum Arabic expert here

Oct 22, 2002

AN expert from Atlantic Gums Corporation in the US, the world’s largest importers of the Gum-Arabic, is in Uganda to assess the viability of investing in the product.

By Stephen Ilungole

AN expert from Atlantic Gums Corporation in the US, the world’s largest importers of the Gum-Arabic, is in Uganda to assess the viability of investing in the product.

Anthony Nwachukwu, here on the invitation of President Yoweri Museveni, will fly to Karamoja today, to get samples that will be taken to the US for tests.

“Once this test is passed, then companies like Coca Cola will be interested in supporting this project. So you already have a big company willing to work with you,” Nwachukwu told a businessmen’s meeting at the export-led growth strategy (ELGS) and African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) country office boardroom in Kampala on Monday.

Gum Arabic is used in the production of sweets, chewing gum, flavours, confectioneries, paints and other industrial products.
It is cultivated from species of trees; acacia senegal and seyal that are grown solely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is grown in parts of the north and north eastern Uganda.

Uganda is trying for the first time cash in from the trade.

Nwachukwu said the main function of the assessment under the project will be to determine the presence of relevant acacia tress, the functionality of the species available as per the requirements of the US industry and the available infrastructure to support a viable participation in the international market.

President Museveni’s assistant on AGOA and other trade related matters, Mrs Susan Muhwezi, will after the Karamoja trip, also take the guest to Lira district in an attempt to exploit the processing of sesame seed (sim sim) that is abundant in northern Uganda.

Muhwezi said if the move succeeds, it would be another leap towards export diversification and yet another opportunity to reap from the US AGOA tariff and quota free policy.

She said the project will be conducted under the Uganda Gum Arabic Assessment Project that was signed between the government and the leaders of the US Gum Arabic industry early this year.

It is aimed at developing high grade foods quality Gum Arabic for export to the US.

Nwachukwu said they were trying to diversify their sources of the product after Sudan, the main African exporters, were slapped an embargo by the US government, four years ago.

He said this situation had now left Chad at the top, followed by Nigeria.

“So this situation presents a unique opportunity for Uganda. I will be back in January to look at the farms and harvests and go back with the samples for functionality testing again,” he said.

“If everything is through, then that will pave way for the beginning of production,” Nwachukwu added.

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