Chief Executive Officer, Raymos Guana Farms, Mr Raymos Guana, has called on governments at all levels to support farmers in the branding of their farm produce for export market.

Guana, who is also a rice farmer, said in Asaba on Thursday, that farmers needed support for proper certification and branding of agricultural produce in the country.

“We need government support for proper certification and branding of our agricultural produce. At the same time, the government should let the world know, through the embassies in Nigeria, of our agricultural potentials for export market,” he said.

Guana said that rebranding of agricultural produce would not only attract more export but also attract more youths to agriculture.

”Take Nigeria as an example, the youth presently constitute 60 percent of the population and they have been able to make significant contributions to national development.

”It is unfortunate that the present environment had made it difficult to explore their potentials in agricultural production and participate in agriculture.

”Stop an average young person on the street to ask him if he will want to take to farming for a living, he will tell you ‘No’.

”But if you push further to ask him if he will want to be an agro investor, farm produce importer and exporter or even a food processor, his answer is going to be ‘Yes,” he said.

Guana stressed the need for changing the mindsets of youths towards agriculture.

Gov. Oyetola shuts down over 600 schools in Osun

According to him, the government can change the narrative through the creation of new technologies to reduce farmers’ workload as well as tackling the stigma and wrong notion about farming.

Guana, who was optimistic that Nigeria would take advantage of the African regional market to boost its export of agricultural produce, noted that the market was virgin and waiting for the country to explore it.

He noted that mushroom production was at its infantile stage in Nigeria and that the nation had the potential to be a major player in its production and processing.