European grant to restructure Sudan’s gum Arabic Sector

Original Story Published by: Staff Writer, www.dabangasudan.org
Photo Source: Social Media

(Above) Gum Arabic Resin.

Sudan obtained a €10 million grant from the European Union to support the restructuring of the gum Arabic sector. The grant will be processed through the French Development Agency.

Faiza Siddig, national coordinator of the project to restructure the Sudanese gum Arabic sector, said in a statement during her visit to El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, that the grant makes a second phase of the restructuring project possible. This second phase will last from 2021 to 2024, and focus on North Kordofan, Blue Nile state, Sennar, and El Gedaref.

The project will support the establishment of gum processing factories to increase the value of the crop before it is exported, manage the quality of the gum, develop marketing, cultivate new areas in the gum Arabic belt, and stimulate capacity building in 270 communities in 10 localities.

Gum Arabic, a bonding agent and emulsifier crucial for soft drinks, is grown mainly in Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile states. Acacia seyal (Taleh) and the Acacia Senegal (Hashab) are tapped for gum by stripping bits off the bark, from which gum then exudes.