Gum Arabic: The New Hope For Karamoja
Jan 05, 2004
The Karimojong are keeping fingers crossed, blowing them hard. The results of lab tests on the suitability of Uganda's gum arabic are out and they are positive.
By David Enyaku
The Karimojong are keeping fingers crossed, blowing them hard. The results of lab tests on the suitability of Uganda's gum arabic are out and they are positive.
It is a year now since Government introduced Karamoja's gum arabic to the American soft drinks market.
Farmers were trained, exudes extracted during a baseline reconnaissance survey and samples were taken to Washington DC for laboratory testing. Positive results could make Karamoja a new source for gum arabic and possibly see Karimojong put aside guns for its massive production.
The result could also facilitate the expansion of Uganda’s export base, putting Uganda on the long list of other semi-arid countries north of the Equator that have found fortune in the gum arabic tree. It would therefore go a long way in helping government achieve one of its aims in the Poverty Eradication Action Plan.
A food and industrial applicant, gum arabic is one of the world's most widely used commercial water-soluble gums. It is extracted from species of acacia senegal and acacia seyal which grow in sub-Saharan Africa. Sudan is the world's largest producer.
Both Acacia senegal and seyal spread naturally. They are found all over Uganda especially in the northern Uganda cattle corridor. In Karamoja, they grow within protected areas mainly forest reserves, national parks, wildlife reserves and public land.
A preliminary survey for a Moroto project supported by International Development Research Centre, IDRC, reveals that the density of Acacia senegal averages 425 trees per hectare but can be as high as 1,700 trees per hectare.
"Higher densities can be obtained if destruction by grazing livestock and fire hazards are checked," it states.
Considering the lower density of 425 trees per hectare, it is estimated that Karamoja alone has about 1 billion trees in an area of about 27,321sq.km, according to the National Biomass programme, Forest department.
Basing on current US census import data, there is very little gum arabic activity from Uganda into the US.
However, between October 2002 and February 2003, Government through the Export Led Growth Strategy (ELGS) and African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) country response office did a lot of groundwork in Karamoja.
Among the activities was a cooperative framework agreement between Government of Uganda and the US gum arabic industry leaders. The objective was development of high-grade food quality gum arabic for export to the US market.
The two parties worked together to explore opportunities for high-grade gum arabic exports from northern Uganda.
"Coca Cola assisted the Government of Uganda in researching prospective opportunities and testing samples of gum arabic from northern Uganda."
Against that background, Anthony Nwachukwu, a gum arabic specialist from the Atlantic Gums Corporation, USA, was dispatched to Karamoja to investigate the potential of gum arabic there.
Nwachukwu has ten year’s experience in International Business Transactions handling bilateral trade between Nigeria/Chad and the United States and European countries.
He has a reputation as an effective manager of trade relationships with an expertise in managing resources in Africa and delivering various products to North America and European corporations.
A team of experts led by Rachel Musoke from the Lands, Water and Environment ministry and Rose Badaza Nakileza from the botany department, Makerere University accompanied Nwachukwu to Karamoja. Gum arabic producing tree species in the entire region were assessed in preparation for functional tests.
Results are back. Ricks Kayizzi reports that Rosa Whitaker, president of a Washington D.C.-based consultancy firm, Whitaker Group, said recently that Uganda is to start shipping gum arabic to the US market early this year, since functionality tests on its quality, durability and market potential turned out positive.
She said that Coca Cola, which has been paying for some of the tests, will be one of the main buyers.
"There is a lot of potential in this product, which can be exploited by many people in the northern part of the country to pull themselves out of poverty," she said.
She added that the growing of the crop does not need much initial capital.
Basing on Sudan figures (1991), the price of gum arabic can vary from US$850 per ton to US$2,800 per ton if hand picked. The current price in Europe, however, is about US$3 per kilogramme.
The American Soft Drinks Association, Importer Service Corporation, Coca-Cola USA, Atlantic Gums Corporation and the European Community readily consume gum arabic.
Gum arabic consumers assist governments to train gum harvesters and inject technical input in its production.
Governments like Borno and Jigawa states in Nigeria and Chad long swept aside the ashes of their political differences to focus on its development.
Sudan commands over 80% of the world's production and trade. For years it has developed a complete protocol of its husbandry.
Roughly, one fifth of Sudan's total area is dedicated to its growing covering an area of 520,000sq.km across 12 states.
An average acacia tree yields about 400-700gm annually. As emulsifier, stabiliser and thickener, gum arabic is an essential ingredient for many industries including confectionery and bakery, high fibre formulation, beverages, encapsulated flavour, in the manufacture for pharmaceuticals and vitamins, textiles, printing and bakery.
Ends
The Karimojong are keeping fingers crossed, blowing them hard. The results of lab tests on the suitability of Uganda's gum arabic are out and they are positive.
It is a year now since Government introduced Karamoja's gum arabic to the American soft drinks market.
Farmers were trained, exudes extracted during a baseline reconnaissance survey and samples were taken to Washington DC for laboratory testing. Positive results could make Karamoja a new source for gum arabic and possibly see Karimojong put aside guns for its massive production.
The result could also facilitate the expansion of Uganda’s export base, putting Uganda on the long list of other semi-arid countries north of the Equator that have found fortune in the gum arabic tree. It would therefore go a long way in helping government achieve one of its aims in the Poverty Eradication Action Plan.
A food and industrial applicant, gum arabic is one of the world's most widely used commercial water-soluble gums. It is extracted from species of acacia senegal and acacia seyal which grow in sub-Saharan Africa. Sudan is the world's largest producer.
Both Acacia senegal and seyal spread naturally. They are found all over Uganda especially in the northern Uganda cattle corridor. In Karamoja, they grow within protected areas mainly forest reserves, national parks, wildlife reserves and public land.
A preliminary survey for a Moroto project supported by International Development Research Centre, IDRC, reveals that the density of Acacia senegal averages 425 trees per hectare but can be as high as 1,700 trees per hectare.
"Higher densities can be obtained if destruction by grazing livestock and fire hazards are checked," it states.
Considering the lower density of 425 trees per hectare, it is estimated that Karamoja alone has about 1 billion trees in an area of about 27,321sq.km, according to the National Biomass programme, Forest department.
Basing on current US census import data, there is very little gum arabic activity from Uganda into the US.
However, between October 2002 and February 2003, Government through the Export Led Growth Strategy (ELGS) and African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) country response office did a lot of groundwork in Karamoja.
Among the activities was a cooperative framework agreement between Government of Uganda and the US gum arabic industry leaders. The objective was development of high-grade food quality gum arabic for export to the US market.
The two parties worked together to explore opportunities for high-grade gum arabic exports from northern Uganda.
"Coca Cola assisted the Government of Uganda in researching prospective opportunities and testing samples of gum arabic from northern Uganda."
Against that background, Anthony Nwachukwu, a gum arabic specialist from the Atlantic Gums Corporation, USA, was dispatched to Karamoja to investigate the potential of gum arabic there.
Nwachukwu has ten year’s experience in International Business Transactions handling bilateral trade between Nigeria/Chad and the United States and European countries.
He has a reputation as an effective manager of trade relationships with an expertise in managing resources in Africa and delivering various products to North America and European corporations.
A team of experts led by Rachel Musoke from the Lands, Water and Environment ministry and Rose Badaza Nakileza from the botany department, Makerere University accompanied Nwachukwu to Karamoja. Gum arabic producing tree species in the entire region were assessed in preparation for functional tests.
Results are back. Ricks Kayizzi reports that Rosa Whitaker, president of a Washington D.C.-based consultancy firm, Whitaker Group, said recently that Uganda is to start shipping gum arabic to the US market early this year, since functionality tests on its quality, durability and market potential turned out positive.
She said that Coca Cola, which has been paying for some of the tests, will be one of the main buyers.
"There is a lot of potential in this product, which can be exploited by many people in the northern part of the country to pull themselves out of poverty," she said.
She added that the growing of the crop does not need much initial capital.
Basing on Sudan figures (1991), the price of gum arabic can vary from US$850 per ton to US$2,800 per ton if hand picked. The current price in Europe, however, is about US$3 per kilogramme.
The American Soft Drinks Association, Importer Service Corporation, Coca-Cola USA, Atlantic Gums Corporation and the European Community readily consume gum arabic.
Gum arabic consumers assist governments to train gum harvesters and inject technical input in its production.
Governments like Borno and Jigawa states in Nigeria and Chad long swept aside the ashes of their political differences to focus on its development.
Sudan commands over 80% of the world's production and trade. For years it has developed a complete protocol of its husbandry.
Roughly, one fifth of Sudan's total area is dedicated to its growing covering an area of 520,000sq.km across 12 states.
An average acacia tree yields about 400-700gm annually. As emulsifier, stabiliser and thickener, gum arabic is an essential ingredient for many industries including confectionery and bakery, high fibre formulation, beverages, encapsulated flavour, in the manufacture for pharmaceuticals and vitamins, textiles, printing and bakery.
Ends