Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan To Unveil Non-GMO Popcorn Seed In Andhra Pradesh

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan will visit Andhra Pradesh today to unveil a newly developed non-genetically modified (non-GMO) high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed, marking a significant development for the country’s popcorn cultivation sector.

The Vice President will launch the hybrid seed at 11 am at the Gourmet Popcornica factory in Musunuru, Eluru district, in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. The event will focus on strengthening the connection between agriculture, food processing and market opportunities for farmers.

During the programme, Radhakrishnan will honour farmers and address representatives from the agriculture sector and other stakeholders. The state government said the initiative is aimed at making farming more profitable by promoting value addition, processing and branding of agricultural produce before taking it to consumers and wider markets.

Gourmet Popcornica has partnerships with thousands of farmers cultivating popcorn maize across thousands of acres in different parts of the country. Its facility at Musunuru has emerged as one of Asia’s largest popcorn processing units and plays an important role in supplying popcorn to thousands of cinema theatres across India.

The Vice President’s visit will also include interactions highlighting the potential of food processing and organised agricultural value chains. The programme is expected to underline the importance of linking farmers directly with processing and marketing ecosystems to improve returns from cultivation.

As part of the schedule, Chandrababu Naidu will leave his camp office at 9.55 am and reach Katrainipadu in Musunuru mandal at 10.15 am. At 10.45 am, he will join Governor S. Abdul Nazeer in welcoming the Vice President.

Following the programme at Musunuru, Radhakrishnan is scheduled to reach the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat at 1.20 pm, where the remainder of his official engagements will take place.

The visit comes as Andhra Pradesh seeks to promote agricultural diversification and strengthen the state’s food-processing ecosystem, with greater emphasis on turning farm produce into higher-value products and expanding market access for farmers.