ASAL’S AFRICA, Western, Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa all the way to Botswana and Namibia has its own unique and same indigenous vegetation, of which millions of the different pastoralist communities has been relying on their social economic and livelihood, adopted to the climate effects for many years. Every day, millions of these different communities cut down the trees for making homesteads, fencing off their livestock’s from the predators at Night and charcoal burning, the latter supplying to the nearest rural and major towns.
Boswellia Negletta
The species are naturally grown in all ASAL counties. Olibanum the product which is produced from the tree, are locally used and chewed as chewing gum and mouth freshener. It is also used as perfumes by some communities in ASAL. The product is a white and black and in ENGLISH known as frankincense and has an international use. The photo taken at Kurkum past Kargi in Marsabit county
Acacia Seyal
The variety seyal stretches as from Walda, Sololo, Dabel in Marsabit county and extends through Korondille, Bute, Buna, Batalu, Dambas in Wajir North and continues past EL Danaba(Koffolle) to Burduras in Mandera west. When the gum Arabic world production drops, it substitutes has the same uses as gum arabic. It has the biggest market in Europe. The photo taken at Sololo near Moyale in Marsabit county. NB(Baboons on top of the tree) a competitor in harvesting
Commiphora Holtiziana
The species stretches from Mwingi, mutomo, Muuthaa, Kiboya and extends to the whole of Tana River county, Garrisa county, Wajir county , Mandera counrty some parts of Moyale-Dabel, Funan Nyata towards Forrolle. The best quality is found in Isiolo and fetches currently the best price
A Wooden store in Lodwar town at TRP compound
A store as holding unit for gum arabic from all the agents as they are transport to the store to be checked, weighed and paid in cash after delivery.
Inside wooden store in Lodwar at TRP compound.
The gum arabic sorted and graded in the store. It is packed into 50kgs or 25kgs net weight as the clients request and transported direct to industrial area or Mombasa for export. The business stopped temporally due the high cost of transportation from collection within Turkana county and again to Mombasa due to poor road. The advantage was that before South Sudan became independent Lokichogio was very busy and a lot of long trucks going empty to Nairobi or Mombasa were easily available. Therefore both the poor road network and the unavailable of direct trucks affected the trade activities in the county.
- The geographical coverage of the gums and resins five tree species in which is over 70% of the total land mass in Kenya.
- Complete feasibility study of gums and resins in the 12 counties of Asal.
- Inventory of all the products of the gums and resins completed.
- Awareness creation in 12 counties in Asal completed.
- Research on Acacia Senegal var. kerensis INTER-Africa Investment Group holdings Ltd has UNLIMITED MARKET
- Favorable rainfall patterns, Unlike other 15 producing countries in Africa. Kenya has 9 months harvesting season except April, November and December during rainy in a year.
- Gums and resins harvested during dry season of the year when the pastoralist have little pasture for their animals.
- INTER Africa have done private research on product development on value addition on gums and resins than any other company in Kenya.
- TOTs (Training of Trainers) done in some parts of Asal counties.
- Environmental friendly harvesting of gums and resins. No tree species are cut down for the purpose of getting the product.
INTER AFRICA Investments Group Holdings Ltd is dealing with ASAL’s Natural resources and non-wood forest products and the only company working in Northern Kenya, South Sudan, Northern Uganda, Southern Ethiopia and Western Somalia and expertise through resources mapping and GPS reading of all gum Arabic and resins producing tree species and have 187 page report. INTER Africa has created awareness and inventory in Kenya. The personnel have been involved also among others on the consultancy on gum Arabic world demand structure and opportunity to revitalize Sudan (Khartoum) gum Arabic sector supported by the (WB) World Bank), www.revitalization gum Arabic in Sudan (Khartoum).
The company directors having the expertise personnel from the indigenous community being from ASAL’s, has advised through technical support (KEFRI) Kenya Forestry Research Institute and (KFS) Kenya Forest Services through informal partnership. The personnel has trained many personnel in Somalia (Mogadishu)
