ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) has developed Kufri Jamunia, a biofortified purple potato variety officially released in 2024 to address hidden hunger through enhanced nutritional content. The variety contains significantly higher levels of key nutrients compared to conventional potatoes, including 42.75 mg/100g of Vitamin C (versus 23.15 mg in common potatoes), 22.77 ppm zinc (versus 0.28 ppm), and 32.23 ppm iron (versus 0.57 ppm). It also contains 42.05 mg/100g anthocyanins in flesh and 80.66 mg/100g in skin, along with 161 µg/100g fresh weight of carotenoids.
Agronomically, Kufri Jamunia is a medium-maturing variety producing 10-12 medium to large tubers per plant with dark purple skin and purple flesh. It yields 32-35 tonnes per hectare under recommended cultivation practices, with station trials recording approximately 49 tonnes per hectare at 90 days duration. The variety demonstrates 90% marketable yield, medium dormancy of 6-8 weeks preventing quick sprouting, and good storage quality with low rottage and minimal weight loss.
The potato is recommended for cultivation across North Indian plains and is suitable for diverse culinary applications including traditional dishes (vegetable curry, paratha, puri, raita), breakfast items (daliya, halwa, upma, dosa, idli batter), and processed products (potato flour for bakery items, soups, cookies). It can also be processed into dehydrated anthocyanin-rich products like daliya, suji, and flour for food formulations.
Kufri Jamunia represents the latest advancement in ICAR-CPRI's colored potato development program, following earlier varieties Kufri Neelkanth (2018) and Kufri Manik (2021). The variety combines agronomic performance with nutritional quality, offering benefits for both farmers and consumers through improved dietary diversity and nutritional security.