GUM KARAYA

(Sterculia urens)
Sterculia or Karaya or Thapsi tree is a native of dry deciduous forests of dry rocky
hills lands having tropical climate. Gum Karaya is an exudate of gum obtained from
the trees of Sterculia Urens one of the most important forest products of our country.
In India, the species of sterculia are found in tropical Himalayas, west and central
India, throughout eastern and western ghats. In Andhra Pradesh, Gum Karaya trees
are found in Adilabad, Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar, Kurnool,
Vishakhapatnam, East/West Godavari and Chittoor districts.
Gum Karaya trees are also found in Australia, Pakistan, Panama, Phillippines,
Indonesia, Senegal, Sudan and Vietnam.
1) Botanical Characters: Distinguishing features of the Genus Sterculia are:
Leaves alternate, Stipulate, hairy. Flowers unisexual and polygamous, petals
absent, anthers 10 and more, fruit follicle.

Bark
Flowering
Flowers
Calyx
Seeds

White, papery
December, February
Unisexual to Bisexual
Companulate
Oblong / Dark brown

2) Trade Name: Gum Karaya

3) Common Names: Gum Karaya, Thapsi Gum, Gum Kadaya, Kullo, Karei,
Kandol, Katilo, Gulu, Katera, Katiera, Indian Tregacanth.
In Andhra Pradesh in different regions Gum Karaya is called under different
names.
1) Telangana
Tapsi, Tabsigum
2) Rayalaseema - Yerra poliki, Tella poliki
3) Coastal Andhra
a) Vishakapatnam, East and West Godavari
b) Vizianagaram and Srikakulum

Kovela
Konda tamara

4) Season: Through out the year. Best season to collect quality material is January
to June.

5) Production: Annual World Production is estimated at 5500 Tons, while Indias

share is around 3000 - 3500 tons. Senegal, Sudan and Pakistan are emerging as
other important suppliers.
6) Producing States: 1) Andhra Pradesh 2) Maharashtra 3) Gujrat 4) Orissa 5)
Rajasthan 6) Karnataka 7) Bihar. Though MP has abundant potentiality of gum,
its tapping is banned since 1981; however in Bastar abd Sirguja districts it is
allowed.
7) Potentiality: Once its annual potential was around 5000 mts. but its present
potential is estimated around 3000 tones per annum.
1

8) Gum Tapping: Tapping of gum from gum yielding trees is done by blazing and
stripping off the tree bark. Maximum amount of gum is produced within first 24
hours of blazing and continued for few days. It solidifies in the form of gum tears.
Except during rainy season tapping can be resorted to through out the year.
Though the gum exudes from the blazes all the year around, the flow is more
copious in the hot weather. The best quality of gum is produced during January
to June. In rainy season the gum produced is either washed off and does not get
dried easily and also poor in quality i.e., darker in colour with high moisture
content and impurities.
Blazing of the trees has an important bearing on the tree health and heavy
tapping is believed to impair the seed fertility and thus regeneration. Therefore,
tapping should be done with the least possible harm to the trees.
Scientific methods of Tapping:
The ideal season for tapping is from October to June depending upon locality.
For tapping gum, the Gum Karaya tree should be of at least 3 ft. in girth and
blazing should be confined to main stem above 3 ft. from the ground level.
The number of blazes that can be made, depends on the girth of the tree as
detailed below.

1)
2)
3)
4)

>

Girth (in inches)

Number of blazes

36-48
48-60
60-72
72 and above

6
2 blazes equally spaced
3 blazes equally spaced
3
4 blazes equally spaced
1 blaze at every 18 inches

The blazes of the rows should be alternate. The depth of the blaze should not
exceed 1/2 till second layer is exposed and each blaze should be a semicircle with 6 wide base. Blazing too deeply, a horizontal excessive blazing,
exposing the wood leads to borer attack and may also result in the death of
the tree.
> In the 2nd and 3rd year, tapping can be continued by extending the 1st years
blaze, 5 cm, above the previous years treated area. Old wounds should not
be reopened. In order to keep the longivity of the tree and for better quality of
gum, tapping should not be done continuously and trees should be given long
periods of rest before retapping so that the blazed portion gets enough time to
heal and resume normal activity. Excessive tapping of the tree may also
deteriorate the gum quality.

9) Gum Yield: The yield of gum will vary depending on the locality, time of
collection, age of the tree, trunk girth, number of blazes etc. The yield of a single
tree has been calculated to be 0.5 to 4.5 kg per season. The yield of gum for 100
blazes varies from 7.5 to 10.0 kg per tree with girth of 0.9 to 1.35m with 2 blazes
may vary from 2.5 to 5 kg. As per the study made in Gujarath, the yield per tree
of different girth is 1 kg per girth of tree 0.12m, 1 to 5 kg per girth of 120-150 cm.
and above 2 kg per girth of 150cm., and above. It was noticed that two forms of
trees i.e., Red bark and white bark Red barked tree yielded more gum than
2

white barked one. It was also noticed that trees growing on hill-slopes yield more
and quality gum than others. Collection of gum per one person one blaze would
be around 30 50gms.
10)Post Harvest Technology and Grading:
Freshly collected gum is thoroughly dried in sun for 5 to 15 days depending on
the climate to reduce the moisture content and also to bleach the colour to some
extent, grading in the initial stages is based on purity, colour.
The grading and processing / purification is done manually or mechanically in
processing plant. Gum processing, purification involves in removal of adhesive
bark, wood, dust and sand etc., by physical means and by blowing air.
After removal of the impurities to the extent possible, the gum is graded into
different categories based mainly on colour and then impurities, then sized into
different grades i.e., HPS, grade I, II, III, siftings:
4) Quality Specifications: Bureau of Indian Standards laid down the following
specification on gum grading:
Grades

Colour

Bofm

HPS
I
II
III
Siftings - 1
Siftings 2

Pure White
White to amber
Reddish pale yellow 1.5%
Brown to Black
Brown
Brown and dark

Viscosity
0.3% - 0.5%
0.5%
3%
6%
8-10%

1200-1500cps
1000 cps
600-1000cps
200-600 cps

Crude Gum Karaya is in the form of tears of variable size or in broken irregular
pieces. The colour varies from pale yellow to pinkish brown translucent and horn
and occasionally admixed with a few darker fragments. The crude Gum Karaya
also contains plant debris such as bark, wood, sand, dust and also rodent hair and
insect fragments etc.,
12)
Storage: Most of the uses of Gum Karaya in various industries is based on
its property to form a viscous or colloidal solution. Powdered gum should be
stored in air tight containers. Since viscosity of Gum Karaya especially urns if it is
in powdered form, is greatly reduced, when stored in aerable containers in dry/hot
environment. Therefore, cold storage i.e., temperature on exceeding 25oC. under
humid conditions is necessary to inhibit the decrease in viscosity of Gum Karaya.
Gum should be dried (sun / tray drying) properly before putting in bags. Excess
moisture in the stored material may lead to change in colour from white to dark
and also fungus attack resulting in poor demand and low price.
13) Gum Karaya Uses: The major use of Gum Karaya is as a bulk laxative in view
of its ability to form a mucilaginous gel on contact with water. For their use, the
Gum is ground to a granule size of 8-30mesh. These granules have a capacity to
absorb and after and swell to 70-100% times their original value. The Gum is
neither digested nor absorbed by the body . The Gum has also been used in a
limited way as a wet end additive in paper manufacture in conjunction with
starches.
3

Gum Karaya is used extensively in various totally unrelated industries because of

the properties such as water absorbing / moisture absorbing, gel and film forming,
adhesiveness abilities. It is highly resistance to hydrolysis by mild acids and
degradation by most of the microorganisms.
1. Industrial Applications: In petroleum and gas producing industries the Gum
Karaya is used in formulations of drilling fluids in removing calcareous
deposits in the wells. Gum Karaya added to the lime-base drilling fluids to
prevent water loss after reducing its viscosity by heating at 90oc. for 10 hrs.
2. Paper and Pulp: Gum Karaya is used in the paper industry for the
manufacturing of certain special quality papers. It deflocculates the fibres and
serves as binder for fibres. Use of Gum Karaya results in light weight sheets
of improved formation and strength.
3. Leather and Allied Products: In leather industry it is employed as an
ingredient of dressing compositions and in proportions for accelerating the
tannin action weighing compositions. Gum Karaya is also used in the
manufacture of collagen fibre material.
4. Miscellaneous Industrial Products: Low grade gum served as a more
efficient binder in the briquette (a block of compressed coal dust).
5. Textile Gum Karaya in powder form is used as a binding material in many of
the textile industries.
6. Food Industry:
1) Sugar: Acceleration of settling rates of first carbonation juice in beet
sugar manufacture can be accelerated by the addition of small amount of
a dilute solution of a natural gum such as Gum Karaya. The addition of
gum / stabilizer improves the quality of juice.
2) Meats: Gum Karaya serves as a less adhesive water absorber in the
final ground meat products and as an emulsifier and binder during meat
processing. Gum also gives the product a smooth appearance. During
meat processing such as chapping, curing, smoking, cooking, chilling, the
added Gum Karaya acts as an emulsifying and binding agent by
absorbing moisture and stored product.
3) Salad dressings: In salad dressing Gum Karaya is used as a stabilizer by
increasing the water, oil emulsion and thereby preventing or slowing
separation.
4) Sauces, Condiment Bases, Ketchups, Sweet pickle & liquor: In the above
items Gum Karaya acts as a stabilizer on 0.1% to 1% by increasing the
viscosity. It retards the movements of solid particles or liquids of different
density.
5) Baked Foods: A mixture of karaya and arbic gums gave some good
results as an emulsifying agent, Gum Karaya mixture & biscuits improves
the appearance, symmetry, grain and tenderness whereas in bread it
increases the volume and improves the softness, symmetry, extreme,
cream color, taste, odour.
4

Karaya gum can be used in making synthetic pulp for fruit juices because of its
cold water swelling property.
7. Medicinal Uses: Gum Karaya also used for constipation, liverticular disease
and as laxative. Also used to osmotic aids through gum which is from powder,
paste, ring, disk, a sheet board advantageous only the other adhesive plasters
and cements specially immediately after post surgical core of skin / sensitive
skins or in soothing to skin, less likely to produce softness, darker support
microbial growth.
Sores and Wound: It found that the application of powdered Gum Karaya
stimulated granulation and healed the resistant bed sores in few patients.
Gum Karaya powder packed in to open wounds increased the normal
granulation tissue and also resulted in good epidermal in growth.
Gum Karaya is also used in dentine adhesive, medical adhesive tapes for the
treatment of stomatities and also used in preparation of pressure-sensitive
masking tapes, medical jellies, pastes.
8. Cosmetics: The film forming property of Gum Karaya makes it useful in the
hair setting preparations of hair dressing lotions and finger wave lotions for the
beauty trade.
9. Other Uses: Also used in linoleum, Ice creams, Jellies, Varnishes, Inks,
Rubber compositions, Oil cloth, Paper coating, Polishes and Engraving
process.
14. Collection Agency: In Andhra Pradesh the Girijan Cooperative Corporation,
Vishakhapatnam has monopoly procurement rights for collection of Gum Karaya.
It procures gum from the tribal areas of Adilabad, Warangal, Khamman,
Mahabubnagar, Kurnool, Vishakapatnam, East/West Godavari and Chittoor
districts.
In 1990 GCC procured highest quantity of 2850 tones of Gum Karaya valued
Rs.6.75 crores.
Gum procured is being processed into different grades as per the requirements of
the buyers and exported through Mumbai to different countries i.e., U.S.A., U.K,
Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Almost
100% of the Gum Karaya procured in the state and even in the country is
exported, since its domestic consumption is negligible.
15. Export Policy: Exports are presently canalised through Tribal Co-operative
Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED), under the ministry of Tribal affairs,
Govt. of India, New Delhi.
State Tribal Development Cooperative Corporations, Forest Development
Corporations are having monopoly procurement rights on the collection of gum in
their respective states.
16. Importing Countries:
1) USA
2) France
3) UK

6) Italy
7) Thailand
8) Singapore
5

4) Japan
5) Germany

9) Malaysia

17. Indian Exports: All the exports are from Mumbai Port. Details of exports from
1992 1993 to 2001 2002 along with Quantity, value and average price
realised per tone:
YEAR

QTY (MT)

1992 1993
1993 1994
1994 1995
1995 1996
1996 1997
1997 1998
1998 1999
1999 2000
2000 2001
2001 2002

VALUE
Rs. In
Lakh

885
1590
1527
1498
1036
1386
1250
1586
1456
1746

PER MT
Rs.

757
1207
1122
1376
1030
1149
1224
1503
1494
1951

85536
75911
73477
91855
99420
82900
97920
94706
102609
111741

18. Procurement Prices of Girijan Co-operative Corp. Ltd., Vishakapatnam

(as on August, 2001)
1)
2)
3)

Gum Karaya grade I

Gum Karaya grade II
Gum Karaya grade III

Rs. 125/-per kg.

Rs. 90/- per kg.
Rs. 60/- per kg.

19. Minimum Export Prices for various grades:

Sl.No.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Grade

Minimum Export Price

USD PMT - FOB

HPS
Grade I
Grade II
Grade III
Siftings I

5000
3700
2500
2000
900

Buyers / Exporters
1)
M/s Laxmi Enterprises
170/72, Samuel Street,
Mumbai 400 009.

Phone
3780181

2)

Jethabhai Hirji & Co.,

Shed No. 8, Sion Estate,
81 Duncan Causeway Road,
Sion (East), Mumbai 400 022.

4090684

3)

D.K. Enterprises,
5-2-946, Osmangunj,
Hyderabad 500 012.

040 465153

4)

Ratansey Damji & Co.,

A-355, M.I.D.C.,
MAHAPE, NAVI MUMBAI 400 701

7901893/4/5

5)

Indrajit & Co.,

177 Khoja galli Sammuel Street,
SOMAIYA BUILDING
Mumbai 400 009.
Shri. Indrajit (R)

3756588
FAX:5676070

6)

M/s Shree Corporation,

234-236, Prem Bhavan
Narsinatha Street,
Mumbai 400 009.

3758950

7)

Morning Star Enterprises,

18, Israil Mohalla,
1st floor, geru galli,
Mumbai 400 009.
Shri Harish Momaya

3741173 /
3739819
Fax: 3739819

8)

R. Mavji & Co.,

181/83, Samuel Street,
Mumbai 400 009.

326411,
339813

9)

M/s. K. UTTAMLAL (EXPORTS) LTD,

BHAGWAN BHUVAN, 1st FLOOR,
196/198, SAMUEL STREET,
P.B. NO. 5174, MUMBAI 400 009.

3753295

10)

M/s. PREMSUN GUMS PVT. LTD.,

401, UDAYBHANU APARTMENTS
M.G.RAOD, RAJAWADI
GHATKOPAR(E), MUMBAI 400 077

11)

M/s. JAIRAMDASS KHUSIRAM,

PLT NO. 5, SECTOR 19-C ,
OPP. PUNJAB NATIONAL BANK
VASHI, NAVI MUMBAI 400 703.

7801232

12)

M/s. KRYSTAL COLLOIDS

119, PURUSHARTH BUILDING,
MEZZANINE FLOOR,
NAWROJI HILL RD. NO. 2,
DONGRI, MUMBAI 400 009.
E Mail: [email protected]

3723110 /
3743404
Fax: 5681376

13)

M/s. PAI TRADING CORPORATION,

NO. 22-B, A.P.M.C., YARD
BATAWADI, TUMKUR 572 103.

14)

M/s. D.P. GUMS,

DABDA GALLY(KHADAK STREET),
7

5676070

855 8995

MUMBAI 400 009.

15)

M/s. AMRATLAL & CO.,

KESHAVJI NAIK ROAD,
OFFICE 5, 1st FLOOR,
CHINCH BUNDER,
MUMBAI 400 009.

863891
M/s. LAKHAMSI GELLABHAI & CO.,
3, CHINCH BUNDER, KESHAVJI
NAIK ROAD, MUMBAI 400 009.
References:
16)

1) A Monograph on Gum Karaya - Ramesh V. Bhat & Gowthami, National

Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
2) Minor forest products of India T. Krishnamurthy
3) Girijan Co-operative Corporation Limited, Vishakapatnam / Hyderabad.
4) TRIFED Delhi / Mumbai.
5) KOVEL Foundation, Vishakapatnam.

___________________________________________________________________
K.P.Rao
State project Advisor (Marketing)
Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty,
Department of Rural Development
3rd & 4th floors, HUDA Hermitage office complex,
Hill fort road, Adarsh nagar,
HyderabadHyderabad- 500004.
APAP- India.
Email: [email protected]