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News: The development of nutrient-rich purple potato varieties in India highlights efforts to improve nutritional quality and address hidden hunger.
About India’s Nutrient-Rich Purple Potato
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) has developed three coloured potato varieties through biofortification.
- Kufri Neelkanth (2018)
- Kufri Manik (2021)
- Kufri Jamunia (2024)
- Aim: This type of biofortification aims to improve the nutrient content of crops through plant breeding and strengthen long-term nutritional security.
- Different varieties developed are:
- Kufri Jamunia (2024):
- Appearance: It has dark-purple skin and flesh, oblong tubers, shallow eyes and a mealy texture.
- Nutritional Value: It contains higher levels of ascorbic acid, anthocyanin and carotenoids than Kufri Manik and Kufri Neelkanth.
- Mineral Content: Its flesh contains 22.77 ppm zinc and 32.23 ppm iron.
- Yield and Storage: It produces 32–35 tonnes per hectare under recommended cultivation practices.
- It also has good storage quality, with low rottage and minimal weight loss.
- Cultivation Suitability: It has shown stable performance in multi-location trials and is recommended for cultivation in the North Indian plains.
- Uses: It can be used to prepare curries, parathas, halwa and dosa.
- It is also suitable for making processed food products.
- Kufri Neelkanth (2018):
- It was the first purple-skinned specialty potato variety.
- Nutritional Value: It has a high antioxidant content.
- Cultivation: It is suitable for Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
- Suitability: It is suitable for people of all age groups.
- Kufri Manik (2021):
- Appearance: It produces round, deep-red tubers with yellow flesh and medium-sized eyes.
- Nutritional Value: It contains high levels of anthocyanin, zinc and iron.
- Kufri Jamunia (2024):
