Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Monday launched India’s first non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed at Musunuru in Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru district, describing the indigenous hybrid as a significant step towards strengthening self-reliance in agriculture.
The Vice-President said the development demonstrated how technology, innovation and indigenous seed development could help transform Indian agriculture and reduce dependence on imported hybrid technologies.
Addressing the gathering, V-P Radhakrishnan said farmers were the backbone of the country and that agriculture had shaped India’s civilisational and cultural life. He stressed the need to harness technology and innovation while developing indigenous agricultural solutions.
Referring to the new popcorn maize hybrid, the Vice-President said India had for years depended on imported hybrid technology for high-quality popcorn maize. The development of an indigenous hybrid could help reduce such dependence and conserve foreign exchange, he said.
He commended Gourmet Popcornica and farmers involved in the initiative for developing an Indian solution grown on Indian soil, with the potential to compete in global markets.
“A small beginning should lead to a big vision and a big dream,” the Vice-President said, highlighting Gourmet Popcornica’s journey from a homegrown enterprise in Andhra Pradesh to a major popcorn maize processing enterprise.
V-P Radhakrishnan said more than 17,500 farmers across eight states, cultivating nearly 40,000 acres, are part of the Gourmet Popcornica initiative. He said the partnership between farmers and the enterprise was helping strengthen market access and create income opportunities for thousands of farming families.
The Vice-President also highlighted several farmer-focused initiatives of the Union government, including PM-KISAN, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission and Namo Drone Didi.
He also praised 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.
V-P Radhakrishnan said the vision of 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, more self-reliant and globally competitive agricultural sector.
During his visit, the Vice-President also toured 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.
The Vice-President also felicitated best-performing farmers from Andhra Pradesh and seven other states, along with partners associated with the Gourmet Popcornica initiative.
