AMARAVATI, August 24, 2026: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan is visiting Musunuru in Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru district on Monday to launch India’s first non-GMO high-expansion popcorn maize hybrid seed. The launch is being held at the Gourmet Popcornica Factory and is expected to highlight developments in popcorn maize cultivation and agricultural value addition.
During the programme, the Vice President will felicitate farmers and address agricultural stakeholders and other participants. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Governor S. Abdul Nazeer are also scheduled to be associated with the event. The new hybrid seed is being presented as a significant development in domestic popcorn maize production.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the link between farmers, seed innovation, processing and the market. The Musunuru programme is being conducted under the aegis of Gourmet Popcornika, which has partnerships with thousands of farmers cultivating popcorn maize across several thousand acres in the country.
The company’s Musunuru facility has been described by the Andhra Pradesh government as one of Asia’s largest popcorn processing centres. It supplies popcorn to cinema theatres across India and is involved in efforts to promote value addition to farmers’ produce through processing and branding.
The launch of the non-GMO high-expansion hybrid is expected to provide farmers with another option for popcorn maize cultivation while supporting the development of a domestic supply chain. The event will also bring together farmers and agricultural stakeholders to discuss opportunities linked to the crop and its processing.
According to official information, Radhakrishnan’s visit forms part of a one-day programme in Andhra Pradesh. The Vice President will attend the event at the Gourmet Popcornica Factory before continuing with his scheduled engagements in the state.
