Nairobi, Dec 4 (IANS): Kenya on Wednesday allowed the sale and export of raw macadamia nuts for a period of 30 days, lifting a ban that was imposed early last month.

Andrew Karanja, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, said that officials from the Agriculture and Food Authority, which regulates the crop sector, have found that there are macadamia stocks held by various licensed processors and exporters that require urgent sale, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The intervention will enable verified stocks being held by various exporters to be cleared for export," Karanja said in a statement released in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.

He said that the directive will allow the export of raw (in-shell) macadamia nuts for 30 days from Wednesday.

According to the World Macadamia Organisation, Kenya is the third largest nut-in-shell and kernel macadamia exporter, after South Africa and Australia.