Other sectors of the economy such as the harvesting of gum Arabic will get the required attention when peace is restored to the country, opposition leader Dr Lam Akol has said.

Dr Lam Akol says the government should have used income generated from the oil to improve agriculture and commercial forestry, especially the gum Arabic.

The gum arabic, also known as acacia gum, is a natural gum made of hardened fluids of various species of the acacia tree.

The cash crop has several uses but it is mainly known for its universal usage as a soft drinks stabilizer. It is been widely used in beverages such as sodas like coke, pepsi, and others.

In South Sudan, large quantities of the gum Arabic trees are found in the Upper Nile region, particularly Wadakona, Lul, and Maiwut areas.

“If we had used the money from oil to develop agriculture and forestry like gum Arabic, we would have now ended up with a lot of [oil] reserves,” Dr Lam told Eye Radio.

Gum arabic is one of the major exports of the neighboring Sudan.

In 2013, Khartoum exported 42 tons of gum arabic to the United States, yielding $103 million.