How To Start Gum Arabic Farming In Nigeria: Your Complete Guide
Gum Arabic farming has really placed Nigeria on the world as the third world largest producer of the crop after Sudan and Chad. You should know that Nigeria is the leading producer of gum Arabic in the West Africa sub-region. Gum Arabic farming business is a very good agribusiness investment that can fetch you huge profits if done properly.
Read: How to start millet farming business in Nigeria
Gum Arabic is a natural gum with similar characteristics as natural rubber and is made up of hardened sap of different species of the acacia tree. It is also known as the Acacia senegalis and grown exclusively in Northern Nigeria. Gum Arabic farming is done in states like Jigawa, Plateau, Borno, Sokoto, Taraba, Niger, Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Kastina, etc.
The focus and objective of this article is to provide you with the needed guidance to a successful gum Arabic farming business in Nigeria. You should simply enjoy your reading as the article promises to very educating and informative as well. In this article, you will certainly get to know about the following:
- Gum Arabic price per kg in Nigeria
- The gum Arabic benefits
- Gum Arabic side effects
- The gum Arabic suppliers, etc
Gum Arabic is primarily composed of polysaccharides and glycoproteins and it is also the major source of arabinose and ribose sugars. It is a perennial tree that grows in the wild.
You need to understand that gum Arabic farming business is not a quick way of making money. There is a need for you to be patience in this gum Arabic farming business in Nigeria. This is because; it takes approximately about 4-5 years for the tree to reach maturation.
Why You Need To Invest In Gum Arabic Farming Business In Nigeria
You might be asking for the reason to invest in this business and not other agribusinesses in Nigeria. Well, the reason is quite simple; gum Arabic has great profit potential both in Nigeria and in the international market. It might interest you to know that Nigeria made a whopping $43 million from gum Arabic in 2017 alone. This further tells you the profitability of gum Arabic farming business in Nigeria.
Also read: How to make money from carrot farming in Nigeria
According to the minister of agriculture, Mr. Audu Ogbeh; gum Arabic seedlings will be produced by the Research Institute in Benin. These improved seedlings will have a high gum-yielding capacity. Once this is achieved, gum Arabic farming in Nigeria will certainly become a gold mine.
There are lots of ways you can utilize gum Arabic when cultivated on your farm. Some of the ways that gum Arabic can be consumed include the following:
- You can use gum Arabic as a stabilizer in food industries
- It can also serve as a thickener, suspender, and emulsifier for paint production
- You can as well use gum Arabic in confectionaries, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries.
- Gum Arabic can also be used for viscosity control in textile industries
- You can also make use of gum Arabic in ceramics, printing, and photography
Requirements for starting gum Arabic farming business in Nigeria
Just as with every business investment, gum Arabic farming business requires certain things for it to be successful. These important requirements are listed below for you.
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Have a well-detailed business plan
You need to understand that no business becomes successful without a very good business plan. Without your gum Arabic business plan, there is every possibility that your business investment won’t last the test of time. You wouldn’t want a business that will not stand the test of time, would you?
Your gum Arabic farming business plan will not only serve as your guide, but it will also help you t access loan for the business. For you to access government loan for agriculture in Nigeria, you must provide a detailed business plan of your business. No investor will ever consider your business if you have no business plan in place.
See: How to invest in agriculture in Nigeria: your complete guide
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Get Land space
After you have gotten your business plan ready and also the startup capital, the next step is to get farmland to cultivate your gum Arabic seedlings. The land is very important to your gum Arabic farming business in Nigeria. You can look for land to lease if you don’t have the money to buy hectares of land for this farming business.
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Get viable gum Arabic seedlings
This is very important for you to have a very profitable gum Arabic farming business in Nigeria. Before you venture into gum Arabic farming business in Nigeria, your source of seedlings matters a lot. You can go to the Agricultural Research Institute in Benin, Edo state for your improved seedlings.
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How to plant your seedlings
It is advisable that you raise the seedlings in a nursery before transplanting to the permanent site. The nursery planting should be done during the month of May and you transplant in the month of July. Planting the seedlings first in a nursery helps to properly develop your gum Arabic seedlings.
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Harvesting your gum Arabic
Like stated earlier, it takes the gum Arabic tree 4-5 years to mature and start producing gum for harvest. It is the same process of harvesting latex from the rubber tree that you can apply here too. You will need a sharp object like a knife to cut the source of the gum on the tree to release the gum. You can only harvest during the dry season as the tree is in full bloom during the rainy season and no gum is produced.
There is the need for you to know that the harvesting period lasts from October to June and the gum is collected every 10 days. After harvesting your gum Arabic from the farm, it is very important that you store it away from water. This is because; once the gum comes in contact with water it will harden and also change color. The quality of your gum is already reduced in this condition. So, you need to be very careful while storing your gum Arabic after harvest.
Also Related: How to start vegetable farming in Nigeria
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Marketing strategy
After you have harvested your gum Arabic from the farm, the next task is to sell it to the buyers. You should have carried out a marketing strategy while drafting your gum Arabic farming business plan. Identifying local buyers and industries in need of your farm produce is very important.
Should you consider the export of the produce, countries like China, USA, Britain, Japan, and Belgium are large consumers of this product. You can see that the market for gum Arabic is very large both in Nigeria and beyond.
ATTENTION…
You can contact us on +2347037281050 for you well-detailed gum Arabic farming business plan or any other business niche in Nigeria. Your business plan will be ready just within 2 weeks of your order. Make that call today and be prepared to move your business higher.
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