Popcorn maize cultivation, fad among B'luru Rural farmers

Most of the produce sold at malls, multiplexes in city

When you think of malls and multiplexes, popcorns and sweetcorns too pop up in the mind. These highly commercial hubs have spiralled the demand for corn resulting in their jacked-up prices.

Realising a commercial potential in corn, farmers of Bengaluru Rural district have turned to growing them in a big way with Doddaballapur leading the four taluks of the district.

Although the production of essential grains in Bengaluru Rural district has plummeted for various reasons, there is a substantial growth in popcorn and sweetcorn production in the last four-five years much to the surprise of district authorities. 

While retaining their status as bumper ragi producers and prime vegetable growers, Doddaballapur farmers are now trying their hands on new varieties of cash crops, especially the corns.

A survey by the district authorities about the crop pattern in Devanahalli, Doddaballapur, Hoskote and Nelamangala taluks revealed that farmers do not consider millets and pulses anymore profitable in the absence of proper returns and irrigation facilities. 

The total acreage of millet production has reduced substantially to be replaced by popcorn, pod-corn and sweet corn. The survey showed that popcorn maize was grown on 341 hectares in Doddaballapur in 2015-16, which is a record. Similarly, the pop-corn production area has increased in the taluk from 8,200 hectares to 10,034 hectares.

Doddaballapur tahsildar M K Ramesh said farmers see a huge income in corns. “Our farmers are growing all kinds of corn, maybe because the investment is less and returns are more. Most of the corns from this region make their way to the malls and multiplexes,” he said.

Doddaballapur Krishi Vignana Kendra assistant director Thimme Gowda said farmers are preferring corn in view of high returns. “Farmers in Doddaballapur are growing all the varieties of corns in a big way in view of huge demand. But popcorn and sweet corn are fad. If the pod corn is sold at Rs 2,000 per quintal, pop corn maize is sold at Rs 4,000 per quintal. Sometimes popcorn price even reaches Rs 6,000 per quintal,' said Gowda.

He added that the sweet corn has also been introduced, which the farmers have received overwhelmingly but it has a major drawback. “Storage is a major challenge with sweet corn. If the pod corn and popcorns are sold at Rs two per piece, sweet corn is sold in Bengaluru between Rs ten and Rs 15 per piece. It has a huge potential, though.”