Nilphamari farmer starts cultivating purple corn

NILPHAMARI, Apr 23 (BSS): Purple Corn, a variety of flint maize originated in South American country Peru, is being cultivated in the country.

Ahsan Ul Haq Babu of Asurkhai village of Kamarpukur Sayedpur Upazila for the first time has successfully produced the purple corn in Bangladesh environment in a limited scale in his research plot.

This particular variety of maize is very ancient, delicious and enrich with high nutritional value. Peruvians used to eat this colourful maize as taste food which sweetness is 20 against 19 in the Fazle variety of mango.

Antioxidant value in purple corn is five to ten times higher than blueberry and people of Inca Civilisation used its colourful juice as beverage which can also be eaten raw like pomegranate.

Babu said he first found the variety of maize through internet. Later, he collected the e-mail address of its marketing company in America.