Zim farmer produces UK’s first white corn crop

. The chewier, floury sweetness of white maize was unlikely to appeal to the
mainstream UK market, so he has cultivated American style white sweetcorn. John Maylam, Sainsbury’s senior produce buyer says: “We are very excited to be bringing the first ever white sweetcorn to the UK. It is surprisingly
sweeter I am really looking forward to seeing how our customers take to the new white variety. We are also thrilled to be able to work with David as this contract means a great deal to him and his family.”
Mwanaka’s feat in growing the first commercially available white sweetcorn follows six years of cultivating the white maize variety. From a farming family in Zimbabwe, he worked as a journalist before the country’s political
changes drove him to pursue a different life in the UK.
Missing one of the staple crops of his homeland, Mwanaka attempted to grow white maize in his garden at his Tilbury home. Successfully finding plants suited to the UK climate, he advertised for land and now has 70 acres in Enfield and 20 acres in Salisbury.
“I am on a mission to get the UK eating white corn,” he said. “It’s fantastic to eat – even sweeter than the usual varieties.”
(www.mwanakafreshfarmfoods.com)