ASAL’s FORESTRY
A great many plants exude viscous gummy liquids, which when exposed to the air and allowed to dry from clear glassy masses. The shape of these masses vary from spherical tear drops, balls Lumps, typical of the gum Arabic producing acacias, to curved ribbon like strands of tragacanth from Astra galus bushes. The colors of these exudates can vary from almost clear white, to dark brown or cloudy and yellowish depending on species, soils and are absorbed. The exudates or gum – resins of certain species of trees and often the wood of the trees themselves have featured in medicines, perfumes, incenses, cosmetics, beauty treatments, traditional gifts and articles used in worship since the times of the Quran and Biblical times. Plants are essential to the living of an ecosystem either directly decarbonizing or indirectly. The plants in the deep seas/oceans or on land are dependants upon by micro-organism.
Gums and resins are produced by a large numbers of plant species and the products are wide and varied. One of the most important products, today gum Arabic is produced by the name formerly Acacia species – Acacia Senegal, but currently was renamed Senegalia Senegal var senegal, var Kerensis or Leorokhis. The acacia tree species (thorn trees) having over five hundred species has confused many in African companies, confused more the aggregators and most the harvesters who collect gums from many tree species which are poison for human consumption. The name acacia being used has also distorted the quality of gum Arabic. Gum Arabic has all alone very useful industrial uses depending on which industry application suite for over 100 years e g (COCA COLA AND PEPSI COLA, PHARMACITICALS, COSMETICS, PERFUMARY, CONFECTIONARIES, DAIRY PRODUCTS ETC)
Gum Arabic dates back at least 4, 000 years when it was carried as an article of commerce by the Egyptian fleets. It was called Kami and used largely as an adhesive for mineral pigments used in painting.
Eventually the gum found its way to Europe through various Arabian ports and acquired the name gum Arabic after its place of export. During the middle ages, trade developed through the Turkish Empire, and later, export trade developed through India, both of these trades giving their own names to the product – Turkey gum and East India gum. However, the latter was not Indian gum Arabic as it had been imported from Africa. India gum is an entirely different product commonly known as gum Ghatti, Tracantha, Karaya etc.
Gum Arabic is also known by a variety of names pertaining to the areas where it is harvested. In addition, here is a mass of other names used to describe different colors and grades and the species of Acacia from which it was extracted. To give an idea of the complexity of the products, its names and sources: the various varieties and sources of gum Arabic are given in articles of commerce.
True gum Arabic is a dried gummy exudation obtained usually from various species of the genus Senegaliam Senegal. There are over 500 species of Acacia worldwide. The name acacia is confusing and using the name in marketing is more distorting the quality of gum Arabic in Kenya as many companies and competitors are unaware despite having a lot of funds from donors the primary quality is uncontrolled. However, in practice only a few species are commercially exploited – the most important being Acacia Senegal (L) Willld. Var Senegal and currently Senegalia Senegal, Senegalia Kerensis, Senegalia leorekhis.
The natural gums and resins trade has been going on in Eastern and Horn of Africa for many years particularly in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Currently, the latter two are the biggest exporters of resins and in Kenya, the quality and quantities collected are very poor and small, and mostly from natural injuries of trees rather than any formal tapping. There are gum plantations in Sudan (Khartoum), and also a few in Mali and other western African countries, but in generally most production is from wild stands. The trading in resins was done mostly through Somalia and even from Kenya (North Eastern through Somalia port Mogadishu before 1989 Bosaso (Punt land) meaning the later the land of scent and Berbera linking the markets to the Far East, MID – EAST and EUROPE. Prices are not high, and did not increase much; due to the little or no incentive to improved productivity and quality to develop the business value chain.
There has been a revival of gums and resins in Kenya as a viable exportable product since 1990s As well as the traditional markets in Europe who are not ready for Kenyan gum Arabic because of poor quality gum Arabic operated by unprofessional middlemen and other companies. There is an increasing market in the Far East, catalyzed in it is thought by the revival of traditional cultural and religious believers and the awakening of people to their traditions, and the increasing demand for organic incensed resins.
It is almost certain that the recent civil strife in Somalia, through which most of the Kenya gums and resins were marketed in the past, has resulted in alternative trade routes being found within Kenya. Estimated production in Kenya as of the year 2021 was undocumented 500 MTS.
In addition, although there is always competition from synthetic alternatives of which gum Arabic and resins remain being an organic and many other ASAL’s tree species stand more and more uses and applications and are being found out and with more research and development these products could develop into a very important and attractive income source for pastoralist in the arid areas of Kenya. INTER AFRICA ASAL ECO SYSTEM LTD is the only company which did feasibility study, Research and Development and Commercialization.
Over 15 countries in Africa produces gum Arabic and Sudan (Khartoum) is the leading gum Arabic exporters in the world exporting 60% for over 100 years in control and has the best grade (Khordofan grade). Other West Africa countries follow Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Senegal etc.
Kenya stands to lead in these industries in East and Horn of Africa if proper sustainable mechanism and better practicing is established through a professional and strategic partnership of “Economic Investments Module”. These will benefit a total of over 1.5 Million households who were currently stricken by severe drought and depending on humanitarian AID of food distribution.
