Workers prepare gum arabic for export at a firm in El-Obeid town at the state of North Kordofan December 17, 2012. In El-Obeid, a Sudanese firm, one of many newcomers since the government ended a state monopoly on the business in 2009, is building a plant to refine and clean the gum arabic so it can fetch higher prices. Business is booming in the western Sudanese town of El-Nahud thanks to rising global demand for gum arabic, a natural and edible gum taken from acacia trees growing in the area. Picture taken December 17, 2012. To match Feature SUDAN-GUMARABIC/ REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah (SUDAN - Tags: BUSINESS AGRICULTURE)