Product Information
Gum arabic is one of the most widely used and traded soluble gums and is also an adhesive (FAO, 2014). The Gum Arabic Company, located in Sudan, was granted an exclusive succession to export raw gum arabic in 1969 but this was recently retracted in order to open up the market (IDE-JETRO, 2009). 80% of all gum arabic production occurs in Sudan, under The Gum Arabic Company name, which approximates to 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes worth of exported economic gain (FAO, 2014). Production of gum arabic is concentrated within a 520,000 square kilometer radius of central Sudan, commonly known as the gum belt. The gum is procured from the acacia tree by tapping, and can be harvested after 5 weeks. Following the 5 weeks it can then withstand 15 day intervals of collection (FAO, 2014). An average stock of 15,000 tonnes is maintained at their Port Sudan location where it is then shipped to approved clientele (IDE-JETRO, 2009). The Gum Arabic Company owns 60% of The Khartoum Gum Arabic Processing Company, located in Port Sudan, which maintains the warehousing and quality testing of the gum arabic (IDE-JETRO, 2009). This company has a fully equipped laboratory and operates a modern processing plant at the port. The gum arabic can be processed in a powered form or kibbled form depending on the order preference (IDE-JETRO, 2009).