Gum Arabic is used in the manufacture of soft drinks, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Cash crop farmers in Upper Nile’s Renk County say the civil unrest in Sudan has badly affected market for gum Arabic in the area.

Initially, the traders used to sell their Gum Arabic mainly to Sudanese companies and businessmen.

However, they say the market stalled due to the ongoing unrest in the neighboring Sudan.

According to Majak Deng – one of the Gum Arabic farmers in Renk – there are more than 1,500 tons of gum Arabic in the stores, awaiting market.

Deng says, last year, over 140 kilograms of Gum Arabic sold at 30,000 pounds.

But the price has dropped to only 10,000 pounds –an offer some traders are unwilling to accept.

Majak Deng is now calling to both the national government and private companies to buy their produce.

“We used to sell our gum to traders and companies from Sudan, but since they have unrest or political problems, no one is coming from Sudan to buy our gum”, Majak Deng was speaking to Eye Radio from Renk Town.

“I call upon both the government and private companies to come and buy our gum and this will encourage us produce more gum next year”, Deng reiterated.

Gum Arabic is a natural gum made up of hardened sap of the acacia tree.

It is used as an emulsifier in the manufacture of soft drinks, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

South Sudan has large quantities of the gum Arabic trees in the central, western and northern parts of the country.