Federal government has reiterated its determination to provide enabling environment to Gum Arabic Farmers in the country.
The Director of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajiya Karima Babangida disclosed this during Gum Arabic stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Kano.
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The theme of the stakeholder’s meeting “Sustainable exploitation of gum Arabic for economic development in Nigeria”
She said that the ministry would continue to provide enabling environment for investors in the industry.
She noted that the purpose of the meeting was to review the position on Gum Arabic value chain with a view to developing a robust road map that would take advantage of the potentials Nigeria ha in the production important commodity.
Represented by Zonal Director North-West FMARD, Mr. Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, added that the Federal Government was ready to partner with any stakeholders who were interested in the development of the Gum Arabic sub-sector.
The Director said that the ministry had established Gum Arabic testing laboratory for quality assurance at Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria(RRIN) station in Gashua, Yobe state.
“In the same vain the ministry has also established a cottage Gum Arabic processing center at Damaturu in Yobe state.
“We are supporting the Gum Arabic association with Tapping Knives, Storage bags, cyclone, crushers, color sorter machine and digital moisture meters to various farmers, she added.
According to the Director, the Federal Governmen will establish two additional Gum Arabic processing centres in Kano and Borno States.
She added that the centres re to be established this year as part of the ministry’s efforts at improving the production of the commodity.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Ernest Umakhihe, said the workshop was organised to induce a combination of appropriate agricultural techniques , policies and institutional arrangements that could generate economic surplus in the gum Arabic sub sector.
He said that the Gum Arabic value chain was among the agricultural commodity being promoted by the Federal ministry of Agriculture.
Represented by Mr Ukattah Bernard, Deputy Director, Tree Crops, explained that the main objective was to increase the area under Gum Arabic production of organized and unorganized plantations and improve upon processing by adding value to obtain grade one gum and archive export substitution and global competativeness.
According to him , in the year 2019/2020 , the ministry produced and distributed free of charge 384,391 Gum Arabic seedlings to farmers in order to boost value addirion.
The Permanent Secretary urged the participants to take advantage of the meeting to build a sustainable agriculture for the country , so as to be self-sufficient in food and nutrition.
Speaking at the event, Eze Chidume Okoro, the National President of Gum Arabic Producers, Processors and Exporters of Nigeria (NAGAPPEN), said the plan was to restore the glory of the Gum Arabic sector in the country.
Okoro called on the ministry of Agriculture to seek the collaboration of Ministries and National Agencies working in gum Arabic sector to ensure a coordinated development of the sector.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in providing enabling environment to Gum Arabic farmers in the country.
