Saudi - Corncob season under way

(MENAFN- Arab News) Corn is an important seasonal agriculture crop in the Kingdom and many residents are fond of eating whole corncobs after heating them on hot coal or boiling them in water. Faras Osama Bana, a Saudi youngster, told Arab News that he often travels to south Jeddah just to eat coal-heated corn. Street vendors usually sell corncobs in parking lots or along the waterfront at SR5 a piece. Mohammed Irshad Ali, an Indian expatriate, said he goes to the parking area at GNP Hospital to purchase a corncob. Corn crop production in the Kingdom used to take place on a larger scale but domestic cultivation decreased dramatically after corn became an imported commodity. Corn is widely harvested in Jazan and Hail provinces, which are famous for agricultural products. Their corn yields, which are used to supply the markets in Jeddah and Riyadh, are expected to arrive later this year. The product is also harvested in Sakaka, Jouf and Al-Hasa, but the highest quality corn is known to be produced only in Jazan and Hail. Each carton, consisting of nearly 15 kg of corn, is being sold for SR20 per kilo in Jeddah, said Ali Mohammed Ali, a Sudanese agro expert in Jeddah. Illegal Yemeni expatriates, who are renowned for street-vending, are dominating corncob sales in Jeddah and many other parts of the Kingdom. These vendors often escape and abandon their trollies when approached by police or municipality patrolling teams.