The Bauchi chapter of the National Association of Gum Arabic Producers, Processors and Exporters (NAGAPPEN) has called for support of the state and federal governments towards commercial production of the commodity.
Malam Bello Galoji, Chairman of the association, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Bauchi, on Monday, said commercial production of the commodity would boost income and promote export.
He said presently only 120 registered farmers had keyed into the production and processing of the commodity, with only 400 hectares currently under cultivation across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.
“We have so far planted no fewer than 600,000 additional seedlings of the commodity, which would mature for harvesting in four years period” he said.
According to him, if government supported the production of Gum Arabic and its export, it would boost the revenue base of both federal and state government as well as generate employment opportunities.
” We are presently in the harvest season, but we have to always transport the commodity to local markets for sale, due to lack of organized selling outlets,” he said, adding that an 80kg of the commodity was currently only being sold at between N8,000 and N8,500.
NAN reports that no fewer than 5,000 farmers in Bauchi state also recently keyed into the cultivation and processing of Ginger to boost their income. (NAN)
