AP: Vice-President launches India’s first Non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed at Musunuru
Musunuru (Andhra Pradesh), Aug 24 (TNT): Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Monday launched India’s first non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed at Musunuru in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, describing it as a significant step towards self-reliance in agriculture.
Addressing the gathering, Radhakrishnan said farmers were the backbone of the nation and agriculture had shaped India’s civilisational and cultural life.
He stressed the importance of technology, innovation and indigenous seed development in strengthening the agriculture sector.
Radhakrishnan said India had for years depended on imported hybrid technology for high-quality popcorn maize and described the new indigenous hybrid as an important step towards reducing such dependence and conserving foreign exchange.
He commended Gourmet Popcornica and farmers for developing an Indian solution with potential to compete in global markets.
The Vice-President appreciated various farmer-centric initiatives of the Union Government, including PM-KISAN, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, National Food Security and Nutrition Mission and Namo Drone Didi.
He also commended Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for initiatives in agriculture and rural development, including Rythu Bazaars, promotion of horticulture and natural farming, and farmer-centric support systems.
Highlighting the scale of the farmer-enterprise partnership, Radhakrishnan said more than 17,500 farmers across eight states, cultivating nearly 40,000 acres, were part of the Gourmet Popcornica initiative.
He lauded the journey of S.B.P. Pattabhi Rama Rao and Gourmet Popcornica from a homegrown enterprise in Andhra Pradesh to a major popcorn maize processing enterprise, saying it had strengthened market access and income opportunities for thousands of farming families.
The Vice-President said a developed India would be built “from the ground” through the soil cultivated by farmers, seeds developed by scientists and entrepreneurs and self-reliance strengthened acre by acre.
He said the Musunuru initiative demonstrated how innovation, entrepreneurship and farmer partnerships could contribute to a stronger, self-reliant and globally competitive agricultural sector.
On the occasion, the Vice-President also felicitated best-performing farmers from Andhra Pradesh and seven other states, besides partners associated with Gourmet Popcornica.
Earlier, the Vice-President visited the Gourmet Popcornica factory and cold storage facility, where he was briefed on maize processing, quality control, packaging and storage.
The programme was attended by Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, state Ministers Nara Lokesh, Kinjarapu Atchannaidu and Kolusu Parthasarathy, besides other dignitaries and representatives of Gourmet Popcornica.
