<p>Cashew nut farmers in Lamu county are appealing to the national government to lift a nine-year-old export ban, which they say has killed the trade. The ban was introduced in 2009 by then Agriculture minister William Ruto. It's sole aim was to solidifying local cashew nut markets and reviving local industries.Cashewnut farmers, however, feel the ban is a raw deal and continue to question why it is still in place even after it had badly damaged the farming of the crop in the county. The export ban forbids cashew nut farmers in Lamu from exporting and selling their crop to markets outside Kenya.</p> <p>Speaking in Lamu town on Friday when they congregated to chart a way forward on the matter, the farmers from Mpeketoni, Witu and Faza said the ban had done the cashew nut industry more harm than good. “The ban has caused us untold misery. The ban came at a time many of us had just harvested hugely and were making plans to send out our produce to outside markets like we usually did since it fetched us good profits. We have been stuck ever since,” farmer Majale Daeri from Faza said. They want it lifted immediately to enable them try to revive again.</p>