Gum Arabic producers still favor small insect for modern device
29 February, 2012
Khartoum, (sudanow.info.sd) – Traditional farmers who collect Gum Arabic prefer using a small insect in dealing with the acacia Senegal (Hashab) trees, which produce precious liquid that dries up to make Gum Arabic , for a modern device that was mainly made to do what this insect does naturally, due to lack of scientific experiments.
Al-Qurraha- the local name given to the Agrilus nubeclosus (beetle)- a small insect that makes small wounds or injuries on the trunk of the acacia tree, causing it to produce gum Arabic.
Acacia tree produces gum by a process locally called Taqal-Hashab (removal of part of the cortex of the trunk of the acacia tree by a small axe). This process is scientifically known as gummosis, possibly as a protective mechanism, usually after a mechanical damage to the trunk and branches by the farmers or after an insect (Agrilus nubeclosus) attack it.
The season of Taqal-Hashab, or injuring of the acacia trees trunk, in Sudan starts on November 15 and lasts till December 15 each year. This is followed by the gum harvesting or collecting season which lasts till April each year.
Shukr Mohamed Taj-Eddin, a producer of gum Arabic who owns a farm at al-Dindir area, some 80 kms southeast of Sinnar State in central sudan, said that he tried to use the new device, but the farmers did not like it because they have got used to using the small axe in injuring the tree and because the axe allows them to work quickly and easily without stopping.
Biological indicator:
Taj-Eddin added that after injuring the tree bark and removing part of its cortex, they wait for the al-Qurraha insect which is attracted by the smell of the bark to come and sit on the injured part of the tree bark to cause small holes on it to allow the tree to produce gum. He said they regard the insect as an important biological (friendly) indicator.
He went on to say that if this small insect fails to visit the tree during specific period (November 15- December 15), the gum collectors realize that the tree would not produce any gum and thus they never return to that tree, the reason why they prefer the use of the axe and the insect for the modern device which was made to do the work of al-Quraaha insect.
Dr. Issam Siddiq, Director of Dar Savanna Ltd., a leading Sudanese Gum Arabic producer, said his company was inspired by the work of the small insect (Agrilus nubeclosus) and produced a device that performs the same job.
He said the device is a two-meter stick subject to be shortened, extended, assembled and dismantled, adding that the device was made of aluminum, with a sharp five-inch pin-like instrument on its top that serves as a cutter to cause holes on the tree.
He further said that the device has a basket as an accessory to be used in carrying the collected gum.
This device was the first Sudanese experience in field of gum Arabic where it serves as a substitute for the axe and tends to achieve a higher economic return with lesser harm on the tree and the environment.
He said Dar Savanna has produced a round 500 units of the device at the cost of 180 SDGs for each unit, adding that the devices were distributed free of charge for the farmers at some area of gum Arabic production, namely in Blue Nile, Darfur, Kordufan and Malakal (now South Sudan State).
Non-encouraging:
Shukr Mohamed Taj-Eddin, meanwhile, said that his experience and that of his peer-farmers with the
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alternative device was not encouraging because the farmers could not get use to it in the first place and because they were not sure that its usage would achieve a satisfactory return of gum Arabic for them.
He attributed the reason to the fact that there were not confirmed scientific experiments to prove to them that the device was feasible, explaining that they did not want to waste their time in vain, particularly that the work environment in field of gum Arabic is hard and complicated.
He added that Dar Savanna Company has not conducted experiments on the device and left that matter for the famers to try in their farms, adding that the farmers did not want to waste their time and money on that.
He said the company should conduct these experiments first and in a wider manner to prove the feasibility of the device for the workers in this domain.
“In the future, it could be a feasible device, but it needs further experiments until its developed to be used in the gum Arabic sector”, he explained.
However, he stressed that the device is simple in its technique and does not need much training or effort, just some directions, adding that there was not enough media on the device besides that it was not available at the markets not to mention lack of practical experiment on its efficiency.
Many advantages:
Abdul-Muniem, an Employee at Dar Savanna, on his part, said that the al-Qurraha device has many advantages including increasing productivity by %30 and that it allows production at more than one part of the acacia tree because it causes only holes on the tree bark without further harm in the form of fissure as it is the case with the axe.
He added that the device also ensures personal safety and enables the farmers to obtain pure gum and above all else it is easy to use.
Further experiments:
He went on to say that the experiments conducted by the company have proved the need for further training on the device, adding that some farmers rejected the device during the field tests under the pretext that the hole it makes is not enough and that the axe is more practical, while some farmers accepted it.
He further said that the gum Arabic council should adopt and support these devices because they contribute to the development of this sector and increase the gum Arabic production in Sudan, pointing out that the productivity of this device is big but lack enough funding where the company is planning to expand and generalize the use of the device at the gum Arabic production areas during 2011-2012 season.
Trees live longer:
Abdul-Majid Abdul-Ghader, Secretary General of the Gum Arabic Council, in the meantime, argues that the idea of the new device was good and capable of being generalized until the producers get used to.
He said the device tends to produce bigger amounts of gums and prolongs the life of the gum producing trees.
“However, it seems that the farmers do not like it so far”, said Abdul-Ghader, adding that the increase of 
the international demand on gum Arabic makes of doubling its production a necessity.
He hoped that the coming seasons, the gum Arabic production would jump to 65000 to more than70000 tons compared to 55000 tons that were all exported until end of December 2010.
The above mentioned figures set Sudan at pinnacle of the world tope gum Arabic producers because those figures represent %87 of the world production of this vital crop where Nigeria exports around 15000 to 20000 tons only.
He further reiterated that there was a high possibility to increase the production, but explained that the workers at the gum Arabic production area perform under very hard conditions and therefore they produce the exported amounts only.
END
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