Situation analysis of gum Arabic producers associations (GAPAs) under IAMDP, Sudan

Abstract

This research was conducted in 2022 in the project area covering four Sudanese states namely: North Kordofan, West Kordofan, South Kordofan, and Sinnar states. This study aims to comprehensively assess the current status of Gum Arabic Producers Associations (GAPAs) under the Integrated Agricultural and Marketing Development Project (IAMDP) in Sudan, focusing on its role in production, marketing, and service delivery. Primary data was collected through a social survey where direct interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and observations (tapping practices, storage facilities, and other). The structured questionnaires were developed and distributed among the participants for detailed-data collection. A total of 140 communities were purposively visited and 185 group discussions were conducted. The descriptive statistics in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) were used for data analysis. Findings indicated that 61.3% of gum Arabic producers associations (GAPAs) are engaged in tapping hashab trees, while 19.1%, 11.5%, and 3.8% focus on Talha, frankincense, and Kakamot trees, respectively. Additionally, 60% of Gum Arabic Producers (GAPs) identified Talha as their primary source of fuelwood and charcoal. Furthermore, 94% of GAPAs expressed their interest in direct export and marketing contracts, with urgent training needs for best practices and financial support. The study also revealed that 90% of non-GAPAs showed interest in joining GAPAs. Based on these findings, it is recommended to increase the training and capacity-buildings programs for GAPAs to improve adoption rate across the production, processing, and marketing value chains, while sustainably supporting the targeted GAPs and GAPAs.